- Urged To Maintain Status Quo Pending A Two-Week Window
Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the management of Dangote Refinery have again agreed to sheathe their swords and abide by the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding both parties signed on Tuesday.
This latest agreement followed another marathon meeting held on Friday, September 12, 2025, at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja.
TheMatrix Newspaper reports that the DSS had summoned both parties amid escalating tension over an alleged breach of an agreement on workers’ right to belong to the union of their choice.
The meeting kicked off around 3:00 pm on Friday and lasted into the evening and was attended by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and other key stakeholders.
Top sources at the meeting disclosed that appeals were made to all parties to maintain the status quo pending a two-week window.
The warring parties reportedly agreed to sheathe their swords and fall back on the resolutions reached on September 9, 2025.
Earlier, the row between NUPENG and Dangote Refinery had threatened to boil over after the union urged Nigerians not to be deceived by Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals’ offer of free nationwide delivery of petroleum products to dispensing stations, describing the offer as a Greek gift aimed at crushing competition.
The union went on to describe the Dangote Group, owner of the 650,000 barrels per day refinery as an epitome of an unconscionable capitalist network, set up to crush competition, all with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel prices in the long run.
The accusation was contained in a statement by NUPENG President Akporeha Williams and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale titled “Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s School Of Falsification Exposed” by NUPENG on Friday, September 12, 2025.
The union and Dangote Refinery have been engaged in a running battle over the alleged refusal of the refinery to allow its drivers to join NUPENG.
This led to a strike action by NUPENG which was only resolved by the Ministry of Labour and Employment after two days.
Shortly after the strike was called off, the union again raised alarm that Dangote Refinery has reneged on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both parties, while threatening to resume the suspended strike.
Reacting, Dangote Refinery noted that unionisation is a voluntary decision and not compulsory, while stressing that it neither interferes with nor restricts its employees’ right to freely join legally recognised trade unions.
It decried the distortion of facts by NUPENG concerning the refinery’s trade relations with its workforce.
In a counter statement, NUPENG noted that the press statement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery dated 11th September 2025 has further confirmed that the Dangote Group is an epitome of unconscionable capitalist network built on falsehood to hoodwink the gullible to crush our union—NUPENG as well as crushing competition, all with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel price on the long run.
“Nigerians should not be deceived by the offer of free nationwide delivery of petroleum products to dispensing stations. It is a Greek gift to ensure that other employers of Petroleum Truck Drivers are unable to employ drivers, so that only those employed by the company who are forced to join the DTCDA will remain in employment. Everything is targeted at crushing NUPENG and its PTD Branch.
