In a strongly worded statement released on Friday in Abuja, NUPENG, through its President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, accused the management of Dangote Refinery of “anti-labour practices” designed to undermine workers’ rights and livelihoods.
Union Cries Foul Over Drivers’ Rights
The dispute centers on Dangote Refinery’s alleged insistence that drivers recruited to operate its fleet of 10,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks would not be permitted to join any trade union.
NUPENG described the move as a blatant violation of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and a breach of international labour conventions, including the ILO Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association, which Nigeria ratified in 1960.
According to the union, drivers under recruitment at MRS, owned by Dangote’s cousin, Sayyu Ali Dantata, have been forced to sign undertakings barring them from joining any existing oil and gas industry union.
“This amounts to economic enslavement,” the union declared, warning that the Dangote Group was attempting to monopolise distribution, crush competition, and undermine workers’ rights.
From Partnership to Betrayal
NUPENG noted that it stood firmly behind Dangote Refinery during its construction and commissioning, in the belief that the project would create jobs and strengthen local capacity.
“Unfortunately, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has chosen to betray that trust by scheming to monopolise distribution and enslave workers,” the statement read. “This is not philanthropy; it is economic sabotage.”
Strike Threat from Monday
The union warned that if the standoff is not resolved, its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch will down tools from Monday, September 8, 2025, effectively halting the loading and distribution of petroleum products nationwide.
It called on the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to exercise its powers under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to check what it described as “restrictive and abusive business practices” by the Dangote Group.
Appeal to FG and Nigerians
NUPENG urged the Federal Government, regulatory agencies, and the wider public to intervene before the crisis spirals into nationwide fuel scarcity.
“This country is governed by laws, not by the whims of trillionaires,” the statement said. “We will resist any attempt to strip Nigerian workers of their constitutional rights.”
The union, however, pleaded with Nigerians to bear with any inconvenience that may arise from its looming industrial action, framing it as a struggle for justice and dignity.
