NUPENG Suspends Strike After Agreement With Dangote Refinery

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its two-day strike following a high-level meeting with officials of the Federal Government and the Dangote Group. The strike, which disrupted fuel supply in several parts of the country, was called off on Tuesday evening.

Confirming the development, NUPENG National President Williams Akporeha told newsmen that the suspension followed an agreement reached after extensive deliberations with stakeholders including the Dangote Group, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and officials of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Dangote Agrees to Unionisation

According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the meeting, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited agreed to allow employees to join registered labour unions in line with existing labour laws. The process of unionisation is to begin immediately and be concluded within two weeks (September 9–22, 2025).

The refinery also pledged not to establish a separate union, while the MoU provided that no worker would face victimisation as a result of the strike. Representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and other stakeholders also signed the agreement.

Impact of the Strike

Before its suspension, the strike had already entered its second day, causing widespread fuel scarcity across states. Many filling stations in Kaduna, Cross River, Enugu, Anambra, and Gombe shut down, while others hiked pump prices. Transport fares rose sharply as motorists and commuters struggled to cope.

In Lagos and Ogun, long queues formed at filling stations, while panic buying spread across major towns. In Enugu and Onitsha, black-market vendors reportedly sold petrol at N1,500 per litre. In Kaduna, motorists lamented that major filling stations such as Total, MRS, NNPC Mega Stations, and AA Rano were closed, forcing them to buy from independent outlets at inflated rates.

Government and Union Intervention

The strike was initially declared after allegations that Dangote Refinery planned to bar drivers recruited for its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks from joining NUPENG. The union accused the refinery of anti-labour practices and of creating a parallel drivers’ association to weaken NUPENG.

Speaking to newsmen, Akporeha stressed that while strike action remains a legitimate industrial tool, NUPENG was not out to sabotage Dangote Refinery or frustrate local fuel production. “Everybody wants Dangote to succeed, including NUPENG, but he must play by the rules. Nigeria cannot afford investors who act like dictators or slave drivers,” he said.

Fuel Supply to Resume

With the suspension of the strike, loading of petroleum products is expected to resume on Wednesday at major depots across Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and Delta State. NUPENG officials confirmed full compliance nationwide during the strike and assured Nigerians that fuel distribution would gradually return to normal.