September 6, 2025-Published by Cyril

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared full support for the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in its ongoing dispute with Dangote Refinery, warning that continued anti-union practices could trigger a nationwide industrial action.

The dispute centres on the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s plan to import thousands of compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks for fuel distribution. According to NUPENG, drivers employed to operate the trucks are being forced to sign undertakings not to join any trade union, a policy the union described as unconstitutional and exploitative.

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In a statement issued on Saturday, NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, condemned the Dangote Group’s alleged anti-labour practices, calling them “crude and dangerous.” The NLC accused the conglomerate of promoting casualisation, paying some of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector, and denying workers their fundamental right to form a union.

The labour body also criticised the group for prioritising the hiring of foreign nationals over qualified Nigerians, citing past cases where welders and fitters from India were recruited while local professionals remained unemployed.

• “The revelations contained in NUPENG’s statement represent not just an attack on petroleum workers but a declaration of war against trade unionism and decent work,” the NLC said. “Nigerian workers are not slaves and cannot be serially abused without consequences.”

The NLC warned that if left unchecked, Dangote’s policies could set a dangerous precedent in Nigeria’s labour environment, emboldening powerful corporations to undermine workers’ rights. It vowed to mobilise a united labour front against the Dangote Group while demanding immediate compliance with Nigerian labour laws and international conventions protecting freedom of association and collective bargaining.

The congress also called on the Federal Government and regulatory agencies, including the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to urgently intervene and ensure the protection of workers’ rights in the oil and gas sector.

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NUPENG, in its own statement, revealed that despite initiating meetings alongside the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to persuade Aliko Dangote to reverse his anti-union stance, their appeals were ignored. The union further alleged that Sayyu Aliu Dantata’s MRS company had already commenced recruitment of CNG truck drivers under conditions that banned them from joining existing unions.

With NUPENG threatening to stop fuel loading nationwide from Monday, September 8, 2025, the standoff poses a serious risk of fuel scarcity across Nigeria if the dispute remains unresolved.

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