Nigeria may be plunged into another round of crippling fuel scarcity from Monday, September 8, 2025, as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) announced a nationwide strike over what it described as “blatant anti-union labour practices” linked to the deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks by Dangote Refinery.
In a statement jointly signed by Prince Williams Akporeha, National President, and Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary, NUPENG warned that its members would down tools after “all channels of dialogue had been exhausted,” stressing that the planned action was necessary to protect workers’ rights and Nigeria’s labour laws.
The union recalled that on June 14, 2025, Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, announced the importation of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks—later scaled up to 10,000 units—to revolutionise petroleum and diesel distribution nationwide. While the move was initially hailed as a major investment in the downstream sector, NUPENG and other stakeholders, particularly the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), raised red flags about its wider implications.
At a meeting with Dangote’s representative, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, on June 23, 2025, the union alleged it was informed that the trucks would operate under a new arrangement that effectively excluded existing trade unions.
Matters escalated on August 29, 2025, when NUPENG discovered that recruitment of drivers had commenced on the condition that applicants sign undertakings not to join existing oil and gas unions.
“This is an affront to the Nigerian Constitution, labour laws, and international conventions,” the union declared. “Freedom of association is non-negotiable, and no employer, no matter how powerful, can strip workers of their rights.”
The union cited:
Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, guaranteeing freedom of association.
Section 9(6) of the Labour Act, prohibiting discrimination based on union membership.
ILO Convention 87, ratified by Nigeria, which affirms the right to organise and bargain collectively.
NUPENG further accused Dangote of engaging in restrictive practices contrary to the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to intervene immediately.
With government agencies yet to act, NUPENG announced it had no choice but to embark on a strike that could ground petroleum distribution across the country.
“We want Nigerians to understand that this action is not intended to inflict hardship but to defend workers’ rights and ensure a competitive and fair downstream sector,” the union said.
It also called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to stand in solidarity while advising its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) to begin preparing for alternative employment or skills training should the dispute linger.
The union demanded urgent intervention from the Federal Government, warning that the strike could spiral into a full-blown energy crisis if ignored.
As of press time, the Dangote Group had not issued an official response to NUPENG’s claims.
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