JUST IN: FG, NUPENG, Dangote Refinery in crucial meeting to halt strike
NUPENG suspends strike
The Federal Government on Monday entered into high-level negotiations with the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), the management of Dangote Refinery, and other key oil industry stakeholders in a bid to end the ongoing strike that has crippled petroleum distribution across the country.
The meeting, held at the Ministry of Labour and Employment headquarters in Abuja, was convened by Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi.
Although scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., proceedings started much later after the NUPENG delegation arrived at about 5:05 p.m.
Also present at the session were officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), executives of MRS Holdings Limited, and members of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Declaring the meeting open, Minister Dingyadi emphasized the government’s resolve to broker peace, warning that prolonged industrial action in the oil and gas sector could have devastating economic consequences.
“You are aware that the purpose of this meeting is to consolidate and see how we can negotiate a peaceful settlement on the dispute that has arisen between our labour unions and the oil industry,” the minister said.
“This is not the first time we are having such a dispute, and we believe that by sitting down with the parties involved, we should be able to resolve the issues within the limits of what is possible.”
He appealed to both labour leaders and Dangote Refinery executives to embrace compromise, stressing that the oil industry remained central to Nigeria’s economic stability.
“The oil industry is not a sector we can toy with. It is very important for the economy of our country and for our people. I want to appeal to all of us to approach this matter with listening ears and readiness to contribute to its resolution,” Dingyadi added.
The meeting later went into a closed-door session, with the minister assuring that the outcome would be communicated to the public once discussions were concluded.
