By Peter Omopo
Lagos, September 9, 2025 — The management of Dangote Refinery has assured Nigerians that the ongoing strike by petroleum tanker drivers will not lead to fuel scarcity across the country.
The strike, launched Monday by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), has drawn solidarity from local and international labour organisations. The union accuses the refinery of hiring drivers on the condition that they do not join trade unions — a claim the company strongly denies.
Speaking on Tuesday, Anthony Chiejina, spokesperson for Dangote Refinery, said fuel supply remains stable.
“There is no fuel shortage, everything is going on. Talks are continuing between the union, the government, and the company,” Chiejina told AFP.
Background to the Dispute
The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, commissioned in 2024, has reduced petrol import dependence and lowered pump prices, while also disrupting entrenched interests in Nigeria’s oil sector long plagued by corruption and inefficiency.
However, its expansion has unsettled tanker drivers, who fear being sidelined by Dangote’s plan to deploy thousands of compressed natural gas-powered trucks for nationwide distribution — a move delayed by logistics challenges.
For decades, more than 20,000 diesel-powered tankers have dominated fuel transportation in Nigeria.
Union Pushback
NUPENG President Williams Akporeha accused the refinery of seeking to suppress workers’ rights.
“What Dangote has shown over time is that he’s not prepared to have workers that will have a say in his employment,” Akporeha said in an interview with Arise News.
The strike has attracted support from the Nigeria Labour Congress, as well as international groups including IndustriALL Global Union (Switzerland) and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (United States).
Dangote’s Response
Chiejina dismissed the union’s allegations as unfounded.
“It’s not true… nobody has done that and nobody ever has. This is cheap blackmail,” he said.
The refinery insists that its employment practices comply with labour laws and that its fuel distribution network will continue without disruption.
