By Our Reporter
Nigerians are bracing for possible fuel scarcity, economic paralysis, and social unrest as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) prepare to embark on a nationwide strike beginning Monday, September 8, 2025.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olufemi, the union accused the management of Dangote Refinery of engaging in anti-labour practices. NUPENG alleged that the company is attempting to strip workers of their fundamental rights, likening the refinery’s actions to “bringing back slavery into Nigeria’s workforce.”
The NLC has also directed its 54 affiliate unions and 36 state councils to join the strike, stressing that the confrontation is not just about workers at the refinery but about the survival of the labour movement and the dignity of Nigerian workers.
Last week, NUPENG had already threatened industrial action against Dangote Refinery over similar allegations. The standoff has since intensified following opposition from some stakeholders, including the Petrol Tanker Drivers and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), who faulted the strike plan.
However, NUPENG dismissed these objections, describing the DTCDA as a “Dangote-sponsored group” created to weaken the union. The statement further claimed that DTCDA was set up by Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata and Alhaji Aliko Dangote to recruit drivers for the 10,000 CNG trucks being imported, insisting that it is not a legally recognised union for tanker drivers.
“For the information of the public, the DTCDA is the association which the Dangote Group of Companies has formed for the drivers to join compulsorily rather than allowing drivers to join NUPENG, which is the only statutorily recognised union authorised to unionise petroleum tanker drivers,” the statement read in part.
It added: “Slavery ended centuries ago, but some unscrupulous capitalists are making efforts to bring it back. Any worker who cannot exercise the right of association is no better than a slave. Ordinary Nigerians should neither encourage nor support slavish working conditions.”
Amid growing fears of fuel shortages and widespread disruption, the Federal Government has stepped in. The Minister of Labour and Employment has summoned the management of the Dangote Group and the leadership of NUPENG to an emergency meeting on Monday, September 8, 2025, in a bid to defuse tensions and avert a nationwide shutdown.