The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) suspended its nationwide strike on Tuesday following a Department of State Services (DSS)-brokered truce between the Federal Government, Dangote Refinery, and organized labor, averting a potential fuel supply crisis.

The resolution stemmed from a high-level meeting in Abuja, convened by the DSS, which included Minister of Finance Wale Edun, Minister of Labour and Employment Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and a Dangote Refinery delegation led by Alhaji Sayyu Dantata. Labor leaders present were NUPENG’s Akpouha Williams, Nigeria Labour Congress’s Benson Upah, and Trade Union Congress’s Dr. NA Toto.

After extensive deliberations, the parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ensuring workers’ rights to unionize voluntarily, in line with Nigeria’s labor laws, and resolving other disputes.

The MoU stipulates that Dangote Refinery will allow willing employees to join unions, with the unionization process to be completed between September 9 and 22, 2025, and guarantees no worker will face victimization for strike participation.

The strike, which began Monday, was triggered by NUPENG’s allegations that Dangote Refinery’s plan to import 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks for fuel distribution threatened jobs in its Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch and included anti-union policies, such as prohibiting new drivers from joining unions.

The action disrupted petroleum lifting, closing some filling stations in Lagos and Warri and raising fears of fuel scarcity. The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) had also planned a three-day suspension of fuel dispensing starting Tuesday in solidarity, while the Nigeria Labour Congress issued a “red alert” for possible broader action.

The agreement ensures that Dangote Refinery cannot establish its own union and upholds workers’ freedom to choose union affiliation. Government officials described the outcome as a critical step toward industrial stability, with Dingyadi emphasizing the petroleum sector’s economic importance.

Labor leaders reaffirmed their commitment to workers’ rights within legal frameworks, noting the MoU’s provision for follow-up talks with the Labour Ministry within a week of the unionization process’s conclusion.