The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Workers has accused the Dangote Petroleum Refinery of sponsoring division within its Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch, resisting workers’ rights to unionisation, and deploying what it described as “falsehoods” to undermine the union.
NUPENG, in a statement signed by its National President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Friday, dismissed a press release by the Dangote Group on Thursday as “an epitome of unconscionable capitalist falsehood aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians and crushing NUPENG.”
The union alleged that despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding on September 9, which it said acknowledged the company’s initial resistance to unionisation, the refinery on September 11 instructed drivers to remove NUPENG stickers from their trucks and replace them with those of the newly formed Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, allegedly created by the management.
“Our members have stoutly resisted this development,” the statement said, adding that the company had been attempting to sponsor parallel structures within the PTD branch since 2023 by recruiting members who had lost union elections into the DTCDA.
Read also: NUPENG, Dangote in standoff as depots, stations shut nationwide
NUPENG further warned Nigerians against what it called a “Greek gift” of free nationwide petroleum delivery by the Dangote refinery, alleging that the move was designed to stifle competition and weaken the union. “It is on record that Dangote Group does not allow unionisation in its cement and sugar plants across Nigeria,” the union claimed.
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services has now summoned both Dangote Refinery and NUPENG leadership to an emergency meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday in Abuja, amid escalating tensions over alleged violations of the labour agreement. The meeting is expected to include representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, and other stakeholders.
On September 9, both parties had signed an MoU at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, granting workers the freedom to join any union of their choice without interference, in line with Nigerian law and ILO conventions. The signing was witnessed by NLC and TUC leaders, senior security officials, and government representatives.
Barely 24 hours after, however, NUPENG accused Dangote of reneging on the pact, an allegation the company denied. The Dangote Group maintained in its earlier statement that “association with any trade union at its refinery remains strictly voluntary.”
Reacting to the company’s September 11 release, NUPENG said: “The press statement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery dated 11th September 2025 further confirms the company’s aim to crush our union, NUPENG, as well as stifle competition, with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel prices in the long run.
The attempt to create an illusion of division within our union is not only malicious but entirely fabricated. If a ‘faction of tanker drivers’ truly existed, Dangote should have persuaded them to call off the nationwide strike of Petroleum Tanker Drivers directed by NUPENG, which was effective, peaceful, and 100 percent successful.”
As of the time of filing this report, Dangote Group had yet to respond to NUPENG’s fresh allegations.
