The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its strike after reaching an agreement with Dangote Refinery that recognizes workers’ right to unionize. The deal was brokered in a closed‑door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) and attended by the Minister of Finance and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by both parties, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals will allow employees who wish to join a union to do so, with the process beginning immediately and concluding within two weeks. The MOU also stipulates that the employer will not establish any other union and that no worker will be victimized as a result of the strike.
The strike, which began on Monday, was triggered by allegations that Dangote Refinery was hiring new drivers on the condition that they not join the union. The company’s management denied the claims, calling them “cheap blackmail.” With the dispute now resolved, NUPENG has suspended its strike with immediate effect.
The agreement is a significant victory for workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa, has faced controversy in recent months over concerns about market dominance and potential monopoly. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment played a key role in brokering the settlement, and the Minister of Labour will receive a report on the unionization process within a week.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and other labor unions welcomed the agreement, viewing it as a major step forward for workers’ rights in the country. The suspension of the strike is expected to relieve motorists and businesses that had feared fuel shortages. Dangote Refinery maintained that there was no fuel shortage despite the strike and that talks were ongoing to resolve the dispute. With the agreement now in place, the company can focus on its plans to deploy thousands of compressed natural gas‑powered trucks nationwide to distribute petrol.
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