The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has insisted that it will proceed with its planned nationwide strike today (Monday), despite last-minute interventions by the Federal Government to avert the crisis.
NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed on Sunday that while the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) had reached out to the union, no concrete resolution had been achieved.
“The Federal Government and the NNPC are reaching out, but there is nothing concrete yet,” Akporeha told the media. Asked if the strike would still commence, he replied, “Yes. The Minister of Labour has called for a meeting in Abuja on Monday, but the strike starts tomorrow morning as planned.”
The union had announced last Friday that it would withdraw the services of its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch beginning September 8, 2025, in protest against alleged anti-labour practices at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
At the centre of the dispute is the refinery’s plan to deploy 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution, with NUPENG alleging that drivers recruited for the trucks were compelled to sign undertakings not to join any union. The union described this as a violation of workers’ rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution and international labour conventions.
Efforts to broker peace intensified on Sunday, with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, summoning all parties to a conciliation meeting. Dingyadi appealed to NUPENG to suspend its strike and warned that any shutdown in the petroleum sector would trigger severe hardship and revenue losses.
“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. A strike, even for just a day, will cause untold hardship for Nigerians and lead to revenue losses running into billions,” he cautioned.
Fuel marketers under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) declared that they would shut down their filling stations if the strike begins.
PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, said pump attendants, many of whom are NUPENG members, would join the industrial action, forcing stations to close. He announced a three-day suspension of fuel lifting and dispensing from Tuesday, September 9, as part of the association’s advocacy for fair competition in the downstream sector.
“The aggressive business strategies of the Dangote refinery will have far-reaching consequences, including pushing depot owners, modular refineries, marketers, and truck drivers out of business,” Gillis-Harry warned.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), threw his weight behind NUPENG, arguing that Dangote’s alleged anti-unionisation policy violates the Constitution, the Trade Union Act, and several international labour conventions.
Falana urged the Federal Government and the Registrar of Trade Unions to call the refinery to order, while also asking the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to halt what he described as monopolistic practices.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also signaled readiness to back NUPENG. Its president, Joe Ajaero, described Dangote’s policies as “crude and dangerous,” placing union affiliates on standby for possible nationwide mobilisation.
However, the Economic Rights Activists (ERA) appealed to NUPENG and its allies to suspend the strike, warning that the action would primarily hurt ordinary Nigerians.
ERA Executive Director, Dr. Josiah Inuwa, said past oil sector strikes had cost the economy billions daily and worsened inflation. He cautioned that transport fares, food prices, and small business operations would be severely disrupted if fuel distribution is halted.
“This is not a fight for justice—it is a direct attack on the Nigerian people. The pepper seller in Osun, the teacher in Kaduna, and the mechanic in Port Harcourt will bear the brunt,” Inuwa argued.
ERA accused vested interests of attempting to sabotage Nigeria’s push for energy self-sufficiency through the Dangote Refinery and urged all parties to return to the negotiating table.
Despite these appeals, NUPENG on Sunday reiterated that there was no going back. Its PTD branch, the union said, would cease loading fuel at depots nationwide from today.
