The fallout comes after NUPENG accused the Dangote Group of reneging on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed earlier in the week, which guaranteed tanker drivers and other workers the right to freely unionise.
On Thursday, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha alleged that Sayyu Aliu Dantata, cousin of Aliko Dangote and a key figure in the refinery’s trucking operations, had disregarded the Abuja peace deal struck on September 9 under the mediation of the Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Dingyadi.
That meeting, witnessed by the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other agencies, reaffirmed drivers’ constitutional right to union membership.
Yet within 48 hours, Akporeha claimed, drivers were ordered to remove NUPENG stickers from their vehicles, while union officials were allegedly harassed at refinery gates.
“Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata flew overhead in his helicopter and called in the navy to crush union activities. Our members are waiting for him and his agents,” Akporeha said, warning that no amount of wealth should place anyone above the law.
NUPENG has now placed its members on “red alert” for the possible resumption of a nationwide strike, suspended only days earlier after the MoU was signed.
Escalating Tensions
According to NUPENG, the dispute began when the refinery allegedly attempted to bar drivers of its 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks from joining unions—an action the union says violates both the Nigerian Constitution and international labour conventions.
The disagreement triggered a strike on September 8, shutting down fuel depots and filling stations nationwide, before government intervention led to a temporary ceasefire. Now, with the truce collapsing, tensions are rising once again.
Fuel marketers under the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) have urged both parties to respect the MoU. PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry warned that any breach of agreement could plunge the nation back into scarcity.
The NLC also condemned the refinery’s stance as a “gross violation” of the peace pact, with one senior official blasting the Dangote Group for treating Nigerian institutions with contempt, describing the refinery as behaving like a “Dangote Republic.”
Government Caught in the Middle
Despite NUPENG’s accusations, the Ministry of Labour says it has not yet received a formal complaint. Director of Trade Unions Amos Falonipe stated that the ministry would invite the parties for dialogue once an official report is lodged.
However, labour analysts warn that the government risks losing credibility if agreements it helped broker can be openly flouted by powerful private conglomerates.
Dangote Refinery Responds
In a statement dated September 11, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery rejected the union’s claims as “wholly inaccurate” and insisted that union membership remains voluntary. It denied coercing drivers or undermining labour rights, describing the allegations as part of an attempt to discredit private sector initiatives.
The refinery defended its CNG truck project, saying it would generate over 60,000 direct jobs, with workers enjoying pay and benefits above national standards. It also highlighted its role in stabilising fuel supply and reducing diesel prices by more than 30% in the past year.
Rejecting accusations of monopoly, the refinery noted that over 30 refinery licences have been issued to other investors and stressed that it maintains cordial relations with labour groups, providing office space and facilitating dues collection.
What Next?
NUPENG has threatened to resume its suspended strike by September 15 if the refinery fails to honour the MoU—an action that could paralyse fuel distribution and trigger fresh scarcity across the country.
Analysts say the showdown has now become more than a dispute between a union and a corporate giant—it is a test of Nigeria’s labour laws, industrial peace, and state authority.
For millions of Nigerians, however, the immediate concern is simple: whether this bitter standoff will once again translate into empty fuel stations and soaring pump prices.
