The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has reaffirmed its plan to launch a nationwide strike today, despite the Federal Government’s efforts to mediate.

The industrial action, set to begin Monday morning, stems from a dispute with Dangote Petroleum Refinery over alleged anti-union practices, threatening potential fuel shortages.

A conciliation meeting with government officials is scheduled for today in Abuja, but NUPENG President Williams Akporeha insists the strike will proceed pending a concrete resolution.

The conflict arose from Dangote Refinery’s plan to import 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks for direct fuel distribution, a scheme delayed from August 15 due to logistics issues in China but expected to resume soon.

NUPENG accuses the refinery, owned by Aliko Dangote, of barring new drivers from joining unions, a move the union deems a violation of the 1999 Constitution and international labor conventions.

Efforts by NUPENG and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners to negotiate were reportedly ignored, escalating tensions when MRS Oil, linked to Dangote’s cousin Sayyu Dantata, began recruiting drivers with similar restrictions.

Labour Minister Muhammad Dingyadi, in a statement Sunday, urged NUPENG to suspend the strike and called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to retract its solidarity “red alert.” Dingyadi warned that even a one-day shutdown could cost billions in revenue and cause widespread hardship, pledging a fair resolution.

However, Akporeha told The PUNCH that government and Nigerian National Petroleum Company outreach lacks substance, confirming the strike’s start while attending the meeting.

Petroleum retailers, via the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), plan to close stations starting Tuesday for three days if the strike holds, citing NUPENG member pump attendants’ participation.

Speaking on Channels Television's The Morning Brief, PETROAN’s Billy Gillis-Harry appealed to President Bola Tinubu and other leaders for urgent intervention, warning of economic fallout from Dangote’s strategies while reffering to previous monopolies including on cement, which could displace millions of jobs.

NUPENG also dismissed a statement from the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, led by lawyer Enoch Kanawa, as a Dangote-backed ploy, asserting its sole authority over tanker drivers.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero, who labeled Dangote’s practices “crude,” and human rights lawyer Femi Falana, who cited legal breaches, have backed the strike.

Conversely, the Economic Rights Activists, led by Dr. Josiah Inuwa, urged a strike suspension, arguing it would harm ordinary Nigerians—transport operators, vendors, and families—while potentially aiding cartels opposing the refinery’s push for energy self-sufficiency.