The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused the Dangote Refinery of violating agreements reached earlier this week in Abuja to resolve an industrial dispute at the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility.
In a joint statement on Thursday, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale alleged that refinery management had begun removing union stickers from trucks and compelling drivers to load in defiance of union rules. The union warned it may resume its suspended nationwide strike if the breaches persist.
The allegations came two days after a meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), attended by three federal ministers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and refinery management. The meeting resolved that employees of the refinery and its petrochemicals arm who wished to unionise would be free to do so within two weeks.
NUPENG, however, claimed that a Dangote Refinery representative, Aliu Dantata, ordered long-standing union members to strip stickers from their trucks and force entry to load products on Thursday. The union urged the federal government to prevent security agencies from being used “with impunity” to enforce violations of the agreement.
“We are placing all our members on red alert for the resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action and calling for solidarity from the NLC, TUC, civil society, and global labour allies,” the statement read.
Dangote Refinery, in its response, reiterated that union membership remains voluntary under Nigerian law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. It denied interfering with workers’ rights, insisting it cannot be held responsible for “individual drivers’ decisions regarding union affiliation.”
Meanwhile, the company confirmed it will begin rolling out its compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered truck programme on Monday, September 15. The ₦720 billion initiative, it said, would cut fuel distribution costs, reduce pump prices, and save the economy an estimated ₦1.8 trillion annually.
According to the refinery, petrol gantry prices will drop to ₦820 per litre, with retail prices ranging between ₦841 in Lagos and other South-west states, and ₦851 in Abuja, Rivers, Delta, Edo, and Kwara. The first phase will cover seven states and the FCT, with nationwide expansion planned as more trucks are deployed.
The company said the project would revitalise dormant filling stations, create thousands of jobs for drivers, station managers, and attendants, and benefit over 42 million small businesses by lowering energy costs. It urged fuel station operators, telecom firms, and bulk fuel consumers to partner with the programme to maximise its impact.
