The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike after the Department of State Services (DSS) brokered a truce between the Federal Government, Dangote Refinery, and organised labour.
The resolution followed a high-level meeting in Abuja attended by top government officials, representatives of Dangote Refinery, and labour leaders.
The strike, which had disrupted commercial activities in several states, triggered long fuel queues and widespread hardship for commuters.
Those present at the meeting included Finance Minister Wale Edun, Labour Minister Mohammed Dingyadi, Minister of State for Labour Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and Dangote Refinery’s delegation led by Sayyu Dantata. Labour leaders in attendance were NUPENG President Williams Akporeha, NLC’s Benson Upah, and TUC’s Nuhu Toro.
After hours of deliberation, the parties resolved to respect labour laws, emphasising that employees cannot be forced into union membership but should have the freedom to decide whether or not to join.
All sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) affirming that only willing employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals may unionise, while the employer cannot set up any other union.
The MoU stated:
“Following the threat to embark on industrial action by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over the refusal of the management of 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 Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment.
“It was revealed in the course of the meeting that the management agreed with this fact and responded that they are not averse to the unionisation of their employees.
“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 Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionise.
“That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9–22 September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer cannot set up any other union.”
It was further agreed that no worker would be victimised as a result of the strike action. Based on this, NUPENG announced the immediate suspension of its industrial action.
Labour Leaders Criticise Dangote’s Delegation
Before the truce, labour leaders accused Dangote’s representatives of walking out twice during earlier negotiations.
Akporeha said, “One major role of trade unions across the world is to ensure fairness, equity, and job security for workers in their various workplaces. What Dangote has shown over time is that he’s not prepared to have workers that will have a say in his employment. And to us, we say that is slavery.”
He added that unrecognised groups, including the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), were asked to leave the meeting because they were not lawful organisations in the oil and gas sector.
Toro described the walkouts as disrespectful. “But the negotiations broke down at the point when the Dangote group staged a walkout. We saw that walkout as insulting, as unacceptable, because when you don’t sit on the negotiating table, how do you put the facts there? That, for us, was also a disrespect, not only to the entire labour movement, but to the Honourable Minister of Labour, who presided over the meeting,” he said.
Impact of the Strike Across States
The strike had varying effects across the country. In Enugu, transport operations were crippled as filling stations shut down, forcing motorists to buy petrol from black marketers at exorbitant prices — as high as ₦2,500 per litre. Commuters reported fare hikes, with trips that once cost ₦500 rising to ₦1,000.
In Akure, Ondo State, filling stations were shut along major routes, with NUPENG officials insisting the action was necessary to resist what they described as Dangote’s attempt to monopolise the petroleum sector.
NUPENG’s state coordinator, Adewale Adekunle, said, “We don’t want Dangote to monopolise us the way he monopolised the cement industry. It is inhumane and unacceptable that over 10,000 workers could be rendered jobless.”
In Delta State, compliance was partial, with some filling stations closing during the day but opening in the evening to sell to customers and black market operators.
In Edo State, independent marketers largely complied with the strike, though NNPC and major marketers kept their stations open.
Kano State witnessed little disruption, as filling stations continued to sell fuel at normal prices, though tanker drivers parked their trucks in parts of the city, causing traffic congestion.
The agreement reached in Abuja has now restored calm, with unions assuring that they will monitor implementation of the MoU in the coming weeks.
