The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday suspended its two-day nationwide strike after a high-level conciliation meeting with the Federal Government and the Dangote Group, bringing temporary relief to Nigerians who had begun to experience fuel shortages and soaring transport costs across several states.
The meeting, convened by the Ministry of Labour and Employment after an inconclusive session on Monday, brought together key stakeholders, including representatives of the Dangote Group led by Sayyu Dantata, officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and senior officials of the labour ministry.
At the end of the discussions, an agreement was signed, compelling the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to allow employees to unionise under recognised labour unions in accordance with Nigeria’s labour laws. The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) made it clear that the refinery must not create or support any parallel association to replace existing unions.
According to the agreement, the process of unionisation is expected to commence immediately and be completed within two weeks, between September 9 and 22, 2025. It was also resolved that no worker of the refinery or its associated petrochemical units would be victimised for participating in union activities or for supporting the strike.
The MoU was jointly signed by Dangote’s representative Sayyu Dantata; NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, and its General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale; an NMDPRA official, O.K. Ukoha; a director at the Ministry of Labour, Amos Falonipe; and representatives of the NLC and TUC.
Following this, NUPENG announced the immediate suspension of its strike, which had paralysed fuel distribution and caused hardship for commuters nationwide.
Impact of the Strike Before Suspension
The strike, which began on Monday, had already created widespread disruptions. In states like Cross River, Kaduna, Enugu, Anambra, and Gombe, filling stations either shut down completely or sold fuel at inflated prices. In Cross River, transport fares doubled, with commuters in Calabar lamenting that a journey which cost ₦300 rose to ₦500, as drivers turned to the black market where petrol was selling for ₦1,500 per litre.
In Kaduna, commercial activities slowed drastically as major filling stations such as NNPC, Total, MRS, and Shema locked their gates. A tricycle operator, Musa Lawal, narrated how he spent over an hour driving across the city in search of fuel but found none. Where independent stations sold petrol, prices jumped as high as ₦950 per litre, up from ₦860 the previous day.
Enugu experienced similar shortages, with long queues forming at the few stations dispensing fuel. Commuters were stranded on major routes like Ogui Junction, Abakpa, and Emene, while fares surged from ₦300 to ₦500 on popular routes. In Anambra, queues in Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi worsened as transport fares doubled, with a ₦200 journey rising to ₦400.
In Gombe, fuel prices were adjusted upwards to between ₦910 and ₦1,000 per litre. Filling stations confirmed that they increased pump prices preemptively in anticipation of prolonged supply disruptions. Meanwhile, in states such as Jos, Kano, Zamfara, and Ilorin, the impact was less severe, though Sokoto reported marginal price increases.
Background to the Dispute
The crisis stemmed from NUPENG’s allegation that the Dangote refinery was attempting to stop its drivers—recruited to operate over 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution—from joining the union. NUPENG argued that this amounted to anti-labour practices and a deliberate move to weaken the union’s influence.
The refinery, which had planned to begin nationwide direct fuel distribution from August 15, 2025, faced delays because of logistical challenges in importing its truck fleet. In the meantime, NUPENG accused the management of trying to establish a parallel drivers’ association, an act the union described as “illegal and unacceptable.”
NUPENG President Williams Akporeha insisted that only recognised sectoral unions such as NUPENG and PENGASSAN could represent oil and gas workers. Speaking on Tuesday, Akporeha said:
“Strikes are part of industrial relations, but under my leadership, they have never been the first option. However, no employer has the right to enslave workers. Everybody wants Dangote to succeed, including NUPENG, but he must play by the rules. Nigeria cannot afford investors who act like dictators.”
He denied allegations that NUPENG was trying to sabotage local production at the Dangote refinery, stressing that the union’s only demand was compliance with labour laws.
Depots Shut Nationwide
Before Tuesday’s agreement, NUPENG had enforced near-total compliance across the country. Depots and fuel terminals in Lagos, Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt were shut down, crippling loading operations. Facilities belonging to Aiteo, RainOil, Shell+, MAO, One Terminals, Africa Terminals, Matrix, Parker AY Shafa, and Integrated Oil and Gas were among those affected.
The strike also forced closures at Aradel Refinery in Port Harcourt and the Kwale Hydrocarbon facility in Delta State, further aggravating fears of a prolonged fuel crisis.
Relief After Suspension
With the suspension of the industrial action, fuel loading is expected to resume on Wednesday, September 4, 2025, easing the scarcity. However, analysts warn that unless the unionisation process at Dangote refinery is implemented in good faith, similar disputes may resurface, risking further disruptions to Nigeria’s already fragile energy supply chain.
For now, the truce provides temporary respite for millions of Nigerians who had been forced to endure long queues, price hikes, and transport disruptions in the last 48 hours.
