By Peter Omopo
September 6, 2025 | Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in an escalating dispute with the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, warning that continued anti-union practices could trigger nationwide industrial action.
NUPENG had on Friday announced plans to halt fuel loading beginning Monday, September 8, in protest against alleged attempts by the refinery to bar drivers from joining trade unions. The union accused the Dangote Group of importing thousands of compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks and recruiting drivers on the condition that they renounce union membership—a move it described as unconstitutional.
In a statement on Saturday, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the alleged policies as “crude and dangerous,” noting that similar complaints had surfaced across other Dangote Group operations, including cement, sugar, and flour.
“The revelations represent not just an attack on petroleum workers but a full-blown declaration of war against trade unionism and decent work,” Ajaero said.
The NLC accused the conglomerate of offering some of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector, fostering casualisation, and creating unsafe working conditions. It further criticised the group’s alleged preference for foreign workers over qualified Nigerians, citing instances where welders and fitters were reportedly recruited from India.
The congress warned that unchecked anti-union policies could set a “dangerous precedent” that allows powerful corporations to openly flout Nigeria’s labour laws and international conventions guaranteeing workers’ rights.
As part of its response, the NLC announced that all workers’ unions had been placed on red alert and pledged full support for NUPENG’s proposed strike action if the refinery failed to comply.
“The attack on NUPENG is an attack on all Nigerian workers. If Dangote continues on this reckless anti-union path, we will confront this tyranny head-on until victory is secured,” the NLC warned.
NUPENG also accused Dangote and his cousin, Sayyu Aliu Dantata, of ignoring repeated appeals, including meetings held jointly with the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO). The union alleged that Dantata’s company, MRS, began recruiting drivers for the imported trucks on August 29, 2025, compelling them to sign undertakings not to join any union.
The NLC has called on the Federal Government and regulatory agencies, particularly the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to urgently intervene.
The standoff comes at a sensitive time, with Dangote’s 650,000 bpd refinery seen as central to Nigeria’s fuel supply and energy security. A strike action disrupting fuel distribution could cause major shortages and economic disruption nationwide.
