Nationwide fuel strike looms as NUPENG, PETROAN face off with Dangote Refinery

Nigeria is bracing for fuel scarcity as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) begins its planned nationwide strike today over Dangote Refinery’s alleged refusal to allow Compressed Natural Gas truck drivers to join a trade union.

In a statement signed by its president, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and general secretary, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG confirmed that its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch will halt the movement of petroleum products across the country.

The union also dismissed claims by the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) that it does not represent tanker drivers, describing the association as a “management creation” tied to the Dangote Group and calling on Nigerians to reject the “slavish conditions” at the refinery.

Adding to the tension, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) announced it would suspend lifting and dispensing petroleum products for three days starting Tuesday, September 9, in solidarity with NUPENG.

PETROAN president Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry warned that Dangote Refinery’s business strategy could devastate smaller industry players, trigger mass unemployment, and destabilise the economy, likening the situation to Nigeria’s cement industry crisis.

He urged President Bola Tinubu and key regulatory agencies to urgently intervene and prevent nationwide hardship.

Meanwhile, Minister of Labour and Employment Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi has convened a conciliation meeting in Abuja with NUPENG, the Dangote Group, and other stakeholders, appealing to the union to suspend its strike.

He warned that a shutdown of the petroleum sector would inflict heavy losses on government revenue and cause severe hardship for Nigerians, assuring that the government will broker a resolution acceptable to all parties.

However, the Economic Rights Agenda (ERA) has condemned the strike threat as “reckless and unpatriotic,” warning that it could cripple Nigeria’s economic life and primarily harm ordinary citizens.

ERA’s executive director, Dr. Josiah Inuwa, accused labour unions of acting as pawns for cartels seeking to undermine Dangote Refinery’s role in boosting energy self-sufficiency.

He called on unions to suspend the strike, urged the government to resist union pressure, and appealed for transparent negotiations to resolve disputes.

The situation has placed Nigeria’s oil sector on edge, with stakeholders awaiting the outcome of today’s meeting, which will determine whether the strike proceeds or is called off.