The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its strike following a landmark agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery to recognise workers’ rights to unionise.
The deal was sealed at a closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and other stakeholders.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Monday, September 8, 2025, both parties agreed that employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals who wish to unionise would be allowed to do so in line with Nigeria’s labour laws. The unionisation process will commence immediately and must be completed within two weeks.
The MoU further stipulated that no worker will be victimised for joining the union, and the company will not establish any parallel union. In response, NUPENG suspended its strike with immediate effect, while all parties are to report back to the Minister of Labour after the exercise.
Signatories to the agreement included Sayyu Dantata for Dangote Group; Benson Upah for the NLC; N.A. Toro for the TUC; NUPENG President, Akporeha Williams; NUPENG General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale; and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The strike, launched earlier by NUPENG’s tanker drivers’ unit, followed allegations that Dangote Refinery barred new drivers from joining unions—an accusation the company denied as “cheap blackmail.”
The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, inaugurated last year as Africa’s largest, has disrupted the petroleum supply chain by reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imports. However, its dominance has triggered monopoly concerns, alongside friction with traditional tanker operators, as Dangote prepares to roll out thousands of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks for petrol distribution.
NUPENG’s action drew backing from the NLC, global union IndustriALL, and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) network.
