*The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers suspend its industrial action after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the private company to recognise oil and gas workers鈥� rights to unionise

Isola Moses | 绿帽献妻

Sequel to its signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery to recognise workers鈥� rights to unionise Tuesday, September 9, 2025, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its industrial action.

绿帽献妻 reports both the NLC leadership and the Management of Dangote Refinery reached the agreement Tuesday during a closed-door meeting, in Abuja, FCT.

The Department of State Services (DSS) had facilitated the meeting between the two parties, which Mr. Wale Edun, Honourable Minister for Finance and Coordniating Minister of the Economy, as well as representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress attended.

Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment

Affirming the development Tuesday, Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of NLC, confirmed the outcome and suspension of the strike, while the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment said it would issue a formal statement on the latest development soon.

It is recalled that the strike had begun with NUPENG (fuel tanker drivers鈥� union) Monday.

The Union had purported that Dangote Petroleum Refinery was hiring new drivers on the condition that they would not join NUPENG in the West African country鈥檚 oil and gas industry.

The Management of Dangote Refinery, however, denied the allegation of frustrating the affected workers from exercising their Labour rights, describing it as 鈥渃heap blackmail鈥�, according to report.

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It is noted that Tuesday鈥檚 resolution of the burning issue followed an earlier conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment Monday, September 8, after NUPENG threatened to embark on strike over Dangote鈥檚 initial refusal to recognise workers鈥� union rights in the private oil firm.

Present at the meeting are the national executives of NUPENG and officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The signed Memorandum of Understanding at the meeting indicated both NUPENG and Dangote Refinery have agreed that unionisation is 鈥渁 workers鈥� right鈥� under extant Labour laws, and employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, who wish to unionise would be allowed to do so henceforth.

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The agreement also stated that the process of unionisation would begin immediately and be completed within two weeks.

It further stated: 鈥淎fter exhaustive deliberations, the following resolutions were reached by both parties:

鈥淭hat since workers鈥� unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees of Dangote Refinery and the unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionise.鈥�

The MoU noted: 鈥淭hat the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th 鈥� 22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union.

鈥淎rising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimized.鈥�

Therefore, in accordance with the new agreement between the two parties, NUPENG has suspended its strike with immediate effect, as parties are expected to report back to the Honourable Minister for Labour and Employment a week after the conclusion of the exercise.

In attendance at the meeting also are officials of the NMDPRA, and the Dangote Group, among others.

Signing the MoU on behalf of the management by Managing Director Dangote Group, Sayyu Dantata, O.K. Ukoha did for Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) while Ojimba Jibrin signed for the Dangote Group

Representatives of Labour unions, including Benson Upah for Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), N.A. Toro for Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUPENG President Akporeha Williams, and General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale also appended their signatures to the document.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director, Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations, signing on behalf of the Minister.

鈥楾here is no fuel shortage,鈥� says Dangote

Speaking during the strike, Mr. Anthony Chiejina, Spokesman at Dangote Group had maintained that 鈥渢here is no fuel shortage, everything is going on.鈥�

Chiejina assured energy consumers and Nigerians at large that talks were still in progress at the time.

NUPENG鈥檚 strike gained both domestic and international support, including from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), global union IndustriALL (Switzerland), and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) network (Washington).

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