NUPENG Insists On Strike Despite FG Intervention, Dangote Refinery At Center Of Labour Row

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has insisted it will proceed with its nationwide strike today, September 8, 2025, despite last-minute interventions by the Federal Government to avert disruption in the petroleum sector.

NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed that the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Dingyadi, had convened a conciliation meeting in Abuja for today, but stressed that the strike would begin as scheduled.

“The Federal Government and the NNPC are reaching out, but there is nothing concrete yet,” Akporeha told The PUNCH. “Yes, the strike starts tomorrow morning as planned.”

The union’s decision, announced last Friday, stems from its dispute with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery over the importation of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks. According to NUPENG, Dangote has refused to allow the new drivers to unionise, describing the move as an attack on workers’ rights and a breach of Nigeria’s Constitution and international labour conventions.

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG has vowed to halt fuel loading from depots nationwide. The move is expected to trigger fuel scarcity, as marketers have said they would shut filling stations once the strike begins.

The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, warned of looming disruption: “If our pump attendants, who are members of NUPENG, don’t come to work, our stations cannot operate. We will suspend dispensing for three days starting Tuesday.”

The development has sparked nationwide concern, with the Federal Government warning of revenue losses and hardship for Nigerians if petroleum operations are disrupted.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has thrown his weight behind NUPENG, calling Dangote’s anti-union policy unconstitutional and unlawful. “Slavery ended centuries ago. Any worker who cannot exercise the right of association is no better than a slave,” Falana said, urging the Federal Government to call Dangote Petroleum Refinery to order.

However, the Economic Rights Activists (ERA) have branded the strike “reckless and unpatriotic,” warning that it would inflict untold hardship on ordinary Nigerians. “Transport fares will skyrocket, food prices will soar, hospitals will lose power, and small businesses will collapse,” ERA Executive Director Josiah Inuwa said in Abuja, urging unions to suspend the action and return to dialogue.

The standoff now pits one of Nigeria’s most powerful labour unions against Africa’s richest man in a battle over jobs, workers’ rights, and the future of fuel distribution in the country.