By Ebiere Kekeboro
The Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its two-day nationwide strike after reaching an agreement with the Dangote Group on Tuesday, following high-level intervention by the Federal Government.
The truce came at a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and executives of the Dangote Group.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed after the parley, both parties resolved that workers at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals have the right to unionise in line with Nigeria’s labour laws.
The agreement provides that the unionisation process will begin immediately and be completed within two weeks, between September 9 and 22, 2025. The management also pledged not to establish a parallel union or interfere in the process.
The MoU further assured that no employee would be victimised for participating in union activities or for the strike action.
Key Resolutions
The communiqué stated:
“That since workers’ 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 who are willing to unionise.”
“That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks.”
“Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals will be victimised.”
In line with the settlement, NUPENG suspended its strike with immediate effect. Both sides are expected to report back to the Minister of Labour one week after the conclusion of the unionisation exercise.
The memorandum was signed by Sayyu Dantata, Managing Director of Dangote Group; O.K. Ukoha for NMDPRA; and Ojimba Jibrin for the Dangote Group.
Labour was represented by Benson Upah (NLC), N.A. Toro (TUC), Akporeha Williams (NUPENG President), and Afolabi Olawale (General Secretary, NUPENG). The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, who signed on behalf of the Minister.
Background
NUPENG had declared a strike on Monday after accusing Dangote Refinery of hiring new drivers on the condition that they would not join the union.
An earlier reconciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, on September 8 ended in deadlock, paving the way for Tuesday’s intervention.
Commissioned last year, the 650,000 barrels-per-day Dangote Refinery is the largest in Africa and was designed to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported petrol. While its operations have lowered pump prices and disrupted entrenched interests in the oil market, the refinery has also attracted criticism over concerns of monopoly and dominance in the sector.