The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has insisted that its nationwide strike will begin today, Monday, despite last-minute interventions from the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
The strike, which could paralyse fuel distribution across the country, follows allegations of anti-labour practices by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, particularly its plan to import 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks and prevent their drivers from joining trade unions.
On Sunday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, announced that he had summoned NUPENG, the Dangote Group, and other stakeholders to an emergency conciliation meeting in Abuja.
Dingyadi appealed to the union to suspend its action, warning that a disruption in petroleum supply would inflict widespread hardship on Nigerians and cause revenue losses running into billions of naira.
“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. A strike, even for just a day, will have an adverse impact on the economy and the lives of Nigerians,” Dingyadi said in a statement signed by ministry spokesperson Patience Onuobia.
But NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, said the strike would go ahead as planned. He confirmed that while government officials had reached out, no concrete commitments had been made.
“The Federal Government and the NNPC are reaching out, but there is nothing concrete yet. The strike starts tomorrow morning as planned,” Akporeha told journalists.
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The union, in a joint statement signed by Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, accused the Dangote Group of attempting to erode workers’ rights. It alleged that newly recruited drivers were being forced to sign undertakings not to join any union, a move the union described as “modern slavery.”
Petroleum marketers have also declared support for NUPENG. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) said filling stations nationwide would shut down if tanker drivers withdrew their services.
PETROAN President, Billy Gillis-Harry, warned that the strike could worsen fuel scarcity and throw millions of Nigerians into hardship.
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, also waded in, describing Dangote’s alleged anti-union policy as illegal and unconstitutional. He cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, the Trade Union Act, and international labour conventions ratified by Nigeria, calling on the Federal Government to stop Dangote from “undermining trade unions.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also placed its affiliates on standby, warning that it would mobilise nationwide in solidarity with oil workers if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Economic Rights Activists (ERA) group has condemned the planned industrial action, describing it as “reckless and unpatriotic.”
ERA’s Executive Director, Dr. Josiah Inuwa, warned that the strike would cripple businesses, hike transport fares, and worsen inflation.
“This is not a fight for justice—it is a direct attack on ordinary Nigerians. The pepper seller in Osun, the teacher in Kaduna, and the mechanic in Port Harcourt will bear the brunt,” Inuwa said.
ERA accused vested interests of using labour unions to sabotage the Dangote Refinery, which it described as key to ending Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel.
