Dangote Refinery vs NUPENG: Truce Collapses, Fuel Supply at Risk
The fragile peace deal between the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery has broken down, sparking a fresh industrial clash that could disrupt fuel supply nationwide.
The dispute stems from allegations that Dangote Group reneged on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier this week. The agreement had allowed tanker drivers and other refinery workers the freedom to unionise under NUPENG.
On Thursday, NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, accused Sayyu Aliu Dantata—a cousin to Aliko Dangote and key figure in the refinery’s trucking arm—of violating the Abuja resolution reached on September 9 at the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters.
That meeting, chaired by Labour Minister Muhammadu Dingyadi and witnessed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), DSS, and other agencies, reaffirmed workers’ constitutional right to unionise.
But Akporeha alleged that within 48 hours of signing the MoU, Dantata ordered drivers to strip NUPENG stickers from their trucks and forcefully entered the refinery in defiance of agreed loading procedures.
“Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata flew over them several times with his helicopter and then called the navy of the Federal Republic to come over ostensibly to crush the union officials. Our members are waiting for him and his agents to run them over,” Akporeha said in a strongly worded statement.
He further warned that Dantata’s actions amounted to “impunity” and called on the Federal Government to ensure that taxpayer-funded security agencies are not used to intimidate workers.
“His wealth cannot make him above the law. Security agents should not allow an individual to ride roughshod even while not observing terms of agreement reached in meetings in which they themselves facilitated,” he added.
With tensions rising, NUPENG has now placed its members on “red alert” for the possible resumption of the nationwide strike it suspended earlier in the week. The union also appealed to the NLC, TUC, civil society groups, and international labour allies to stand in solidarity.
Later on Thursday, NUPENG’s General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, alleged that the refinery planned to deploy towing trucks to remove vehicles used by the union to enforce compliance. In response, union members reportedly reinforced their blockade at the refinery gates.
How the Crisis Started
The conflict began when NUPENG accused the refinery of trying to bar drivers of its 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks from joining any union. The union described the move as an attack on freedom of association, which is enshrined in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and backed by international labour conventions.
The refinery’s CNG trucks, initially scheduled to begin operations in August, faced delays due to logistics challenges in China but are still expected to roll out before the end of the year. According to NUPENG, management of the refinery and MRS—owned by Sayyu Dantata—compelled drivers to sign undertakings not to join oil and gas unions.
Matters boiled over on September 8, when NUPENG launched a strike that shut down depots and filling stations across the country. Government intervention led to the MoU signing and temporary suspension of the strike, but with the truce now in tatters, fuel supply stability is again under threat.
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At Updatevilla, we’ll keep tracking how this battle between labour and Africa’s largest refinery unfolds—and what it means for Nigerians at the pump. Stay with us for timely updates that matter most to you
