FG Threatens To Stop NUPENG Strike Over Dangote Dispute
Atume Terfa
Nigeria is facing a potential fuel crisis as the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG) holds firm on its threat to shut down nationwide operations, accusing the Dangote Refinery of engaging in anti-union practices.
With the strike scheduled to begin Monday, September 8, the Federal Government has jumped into crisis mode, racing to prevent a nationwide shutdown of petrol distribution.
On Sunday, Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi summoned representatives of the Dangote Group, NUPENG, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to Abuja for urgent conciliation talks. The government appealed to the union to suspend its strike threat and asked the NLC to roll back its “red alert” in solidarity with NUPENG.
NUPENG Stands Its Ground
But union president Williams Akporeha insists the strike is still on. At the heart of the dispute is Dangote Refinery’s plan to deploy 4,000 CNG-powered trucks staffed with non-union drivers — a move NUPENG says strips workers of their constitutional and international labour rights.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has thrown its weight behind NUPENG, warning of broader industrial action if the matter isn’t resolved. Fuel retailers, led by PETROAN, have also sounded the alarm: filling stations across Nigeria could go dark if pump attendants — mostly NUPENG members — walk off the job.
Prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana SAN has openly backed the unions, slamming Dangote’s policy as unconstitutional and a breach of core ILO conventions. He urged regulators to act decisively, warning that unchecked corporate overreach could erode Nigeria’s fragile labour rights framework.
Analysts warn the confrontation could cripple fuel distribution and worsen economic pressures already straining Nigerians. The government’s next steps in the Abuja talks may determine whether the nation sees another round of crippling fuel scarcity — or a last-minute truce that cools rising tensions in Africa’s biggest oil market.
