NUPENG threatens strike over Dangote’s anti-union policy
Dangote's tank
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused billionaire industrialists, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin, Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata, of undermining workers’ rights and attempting to monopolise the downstream oil sector.
In a statement issued yesterday, NUPENG said it had held several meetings—alongside the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO)—to persuade Dangote to allow his drivers to join trade unions, but its appeals were ignored.
The union alleged that despite these engagements, MRS Holdings, owned by Dantata, commenced the recruitment of drivers for Dangote’s newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks on August 29, 2025, compelling them to sign undertakings not to belong to any existing union in the oil and gas industry.
“NUPENG is seriously concerned and disturbed with the unconscionable business practices of Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who are scared of allowing unions to exist in their business outfits,” the statement read.
The union further accused Dangote of betraying the goodwill extended to him during the construction and commissioning of his $20bn refinery, which was expected to create jobs and strengthen local capacity. Instead, it claimed, Dangote was now scheming to monopolise fuel distribution, crush competition, enslave workers, and raise prices.
“This is not philanthropy; it is economic sabotage,” NUPENG declared.
The union warned that unless regulatory agencies wade into the matter, its members would from Monday, September 8, stop loading petroleum products nationwide, a move that could trigger fuel scarcity.
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG said its members would begin seeking alternative employment from the same date, citing Dangote’s alleged plan to replace all tanker drivers in Nigeria.
“We plead with the general public to bear any inconveniences our struggle against this tyranny may cause. It is a struggle that must be waged,” the union said, while calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other industrial unions to prepare for mass action in solidarity.
It also urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority to invoke its powers under the Petroleum Industry Act to investigate what it described as “abuse of dominant position and restrictive business practices” in the sector.
“Any attempt to deprive workers of the right of association is an affront to Section 40 of the Constitution. Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata should not be allowed to enslave Nigerian workers. They should obey the laws of Nigeria,” the statement added.
As of press time, Dangote Group’s spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, had yet to respond to requests for comment.
The dispute comes at a sensitive time for Nigeria’s downstream oil industry. Dangote’s plan to deploy 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution has already stirred controversy among oil marketers, tanker drivers, and transport unions, with fears that NUPENG’s threat could trigger a nationwide fuel crisis.
