By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu
Nigeria: NUPENG Ends Strike After Agreement With Dangote Refinery
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its strike action following an agreement with Dangote Refinery to recognise the right of its employees to unionise.
The breakthrough came after a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
The session was attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the meeting, both parties agreed that workers at Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals who wish to unionise will be free to do so in line with Nigeria’s labour laws.
The process will begin immediately and must be completed within two weeks, from September 9 to 22, 2025.
The agreement also guarantees that no employee will face victimisation over the strike and that the refinery’s management will not create parallel or alternative unions.
Signatories to the MoU included Sayyu Dantata, Managing Director of Dangote Refinery; O.K. Ukoha of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); NUPENG President Akporeha Williams; NUPENG General Secretary Afolabi Olawale; and Benson Upah representing the NLC.
The Ministry of Labour was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, who signed on behalf of the Minister.
The dispute stemmed from allegations by NUPENG that Dangote Refinery had been recruiting new tanker drivers under conditions that prevented them from joining unions. The company denied the accusations, calling them baseless.
During the strike, which began earlier in the week, Dangote’s management maintained that operations remained unaffected and that there was no disruption in fuel supply.
Still, the standoff drew significant attention, with NUPENG receiving backing from the NLC, TUC, and international labour organisations including IndustriALL (Switzerland) and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) network (Washington).
Dangote Refinery, inaugurated last year with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, is the largest in Africa and was built to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products.
While its operations have driven down fuel prices, critics argue that the company’s dominance raises monopoly concerns and is reshaping the power balance within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
With the strike now suspended, both parties are expected to report back to the Minister of Labour one week after the unionisation process concludes.
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