NUPENG suspends strike as Dangote Refinery agrees to Workers’ unionisation

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called off its strike following an agreement with Dangote Refinery’s management to recognise employees’ rights to unionise.

The resolution was reached during a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), with the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in attendance. Acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, confirmed the development, while the Ministry of Labour is expected to release a formal statement soon.

The agreement followed a conciliation meeting organised by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on September 8, 2025, after NUPENG threatened to strike over the company’s refusal to allow unionisation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties affirmed that unionisation is a legal right and that Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals workers who wish to join a union would be allowed to do so. The process will begin immediately and conclude within two weeks, between September 9 and 22, 2025. The MoU also stated that no employee would be victimised over the strike.

Those who signed the MoU included Dangote Group Managing Director Sayyu Dantata, NMDPRA representative O.K. Ukoha, and Ojimba Jibrin for Dangote Group, while labour unions were represented by Benson Upah (NLC), N.A. Toro (TUC), NUPENG President Akporeha Williams, and NUPENG General Secretary Afolabi Olawale. Amos Falonipe signed on behalf of the Minister of Labour and Employment.

NUPENG launched the strike earlier in the week, accusing the refinery of hiring new drivers under conditions preventing them from joining the union, an allegation the company dismissed as “cheap blackmail.”

The Dangote Refinery, which opened last year with a 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, is Africa’s largest and was established to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported fuel. Its expansion plans, including deploying thousands of compressed natural gas-powered trucks, have faced delays, leading to tensions with over 20,000 diesel tanker operators.

The strike drew widespread support from the NLC, Switzerland-based global union IndustriALL, and the Washington-based International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) network.