The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide two-day strike after a tense meeting with the Dangote Group, bringing relief to millions of Nigerians who were hit by fuel shortages.
NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed that the union reached an agreement with the management of the Dangote refinery, led by Sayyu Dantata, to allow its drivers to officially join the union. According to him, the resolution was signed on Tuesday after the Department of State Services (DSS) intervened to mediate between both parties.
“We have called off the strike. The Dangote refinery has agreed to unionize its drivers, and an agreement was signed,” Akporeha said in a phone interview with The Trumpet.
The strike, which began on Monday, had crippled fuel distribution nationwide as over 4,000 tanker drivers grounded operations. Filling stations across major cities ran dry, while activities at Aradel Refinery in Port Harcourt and the Kwale Hydrocarbon facility in Delta State were forced to shut down. By dawn, depots in Lagos, Warri, and other hubs were deserted, with tanker drivers parking their trucks in total compliance with the union’s directive.
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The industrial action was triggered by allegations that the Dangote refinery attempted to stop its truck drivers from unionizing, despite several last-minute interventions by the Federal Government.
NUPENG had issued a warning last Friday that the strike would paralyze fuel distribution nationwide if its concerns were ignored. True to that threat, Nigerians endured long queues and scarcity for two days until Tuesday’s breakthrough.
With the suspension of the strike, fuel loading and nationwide distribution have now resumed, restoring calm to an already tense situation.
