Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday suspended its two-day strike after a crucial meeting with officials of the Federal Government, the Dangote Group, and other key stakeholders. The decision came as fuel supply disruptions left filling stations shut and commuters stranded in several states.

Confirming the suspension, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, said the move followed an agreement reached at the meeting. “Following the threat to embark on industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers over the refusal of the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to allow their employees to be unionised by registered labour unions, a conciliation meeting was held at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment,” the agreement read.

It added: “The management agreed with this fact and responded that they are not averse to the unionisation of their employees by labour unions in tandem with the provisions of the extant labour laws. After exhaustive deliberations, the following resolutions were reached by both parties: That since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees of Dangote Refinery and the unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals who are willing to unionise.

“That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th–22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union. Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised.The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday suspended its two-day strike after a crucial meeting with officials of the Federal Government, the Dangote Group, and other key stakeholders. The decision came as fuel supply disruptions left filling stations shut and commuters stranded in several states.

Confirming the suspension, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, said the move followed an agreement reached at the meeting. “Following the threat to embark on industrial action by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers over the refusal of the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to allow their employees to be unionised by registered labour unions, a conciliation meeting was held at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment,” the agreement read.

It added: “The management agreed with this fact and responded that they are not averse to the unionisation of their employees by labour unions in tandem with the provisions of the extant labour laws. After exhaustive deliberations, the following resolutions were reached by both parties: That since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees of Dangote Refinery and the unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals who are willing to unionise.

“That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th–22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union. Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dangote’s Executive, Sayyu Dantata; NUPENG’s President, Williams Akporeha; the union’s Secretary, Afolabi Olawale; an official of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), O.K. Ukoha; a director of the Ministry of Labour, Amos Falonipe; as well as representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The conciliatory meeting, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, followed a failed attempt on Monday to resolve the dispute. The row began after NUPENG accused the Dangote refinery of planning to ban the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, recruited for its 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks, from joining the union. The union further alleged that Alhaji Aliko Dangote intended to weaken their relevance with his direct fuel distribution scheme.

Before its suspension, the strike caused significant disruptions nationwide. In Lagos and Ogun states, motorists engaged in panic buying, while in Cross River, Kaduna, Sokoto, and Enugu, many filling stations were either closed or sold fuel at increased prices.

The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, told The PUNCH: “PETROAN members joined the strike on Tuesday, as the Monday meeting with the labour minister yielded no result.” He warned that the strike was “a looming danger” but commended the government for its “prompt intervention”.

In Calabar, commuters lamented the effect of fuel scarcity on transport fares. A resident, Mary Archibong, explained, “The fuel scarcity has affected everyone in one way or another. Before now, from Watt to Calabar Roundabout, it used to be N300, but now it’s N500. It is very bad because the drivers are now buying from the black market at N1,500 per litre.”

In Kaduna, commercial activities were crippled as most major filling stations remained shut. Musa Lawal, a tricycle operator, voiced his frustration: “I drove around for over an hour looking for fuel. Nowhere is selling.”

From Barnawa to Station Roundabout and the Ahmadu Bello Stadium axis, NNPC Mega stations, Total, MRS, AA Rano, and Shema filling stations were all locked, leaving long queues and stranded motorists.

Although the strike has been suspended, stakeholders agreed to reconvene with the Minister of Labour a week after the conclusion of the unionisation process to review compliance with the agreement

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post