The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has announced a nationwide strike commencing Monday, September 8, 2025, in response to what it terms "anti-union labor practices" linked to the Dangote Refinery.

The industrial action, detailed in a press statement released today, stems from a dispute over the refinery’s deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks, which NUPENG alleges threatens workers’ rights and the integrity of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.

The statement, jointly signed by NUPENG National President Prince Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, follows a series of escalating tensions with Dangote’s conglomerate.

The conflict traces back to June 14, 2025, when Alhaji Aliko Dangote announced plans to import 4,000 CNG trucks—later expanded to 10,000—for the nationwide distribution of petroleum and diesel products.

While initially hailed as a potential boost to the downstream sector, the move raised red flags among stakeholders, including the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).Seeking clarity, NUPENG and NARTO requested a meeting with Dangote, held on June 23, 2025, with Alhaji Sayyu Dantata representing the billionaire industrialist.

According to the union, it was during this meeting that they learned the trucks would operate under a new arrangement excluding existing trade unions. The situation worsened when recruitment for truck drivers began on August 29, 2025, with applicants allegedly required to sign undertakings pledging not to join recognized oil and gas industry unions—a move NUPENG deems a direct assault on labor rights.

“This recruitment, conditioned on not joining existing unions, is a matter of grave concern,” the statement asserts. “It contravenes Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, and Section 9(6) of the Labour Act, which prohibits penalizing workers for their union membership or non-membership.”NUPENG further invokes Nigeria’s ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 87, which mandates freedom of association, enforceable under Section 254C (2) of the Constitution.

The union has called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to leverage its statutory powers under Section 32 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to foster competition and curb restrictive practices in the sector.

Despite repeated attempts at dialogue with government agencies and the Dangote Group, NUPENG claims no satisfactory resolution.

“Having exhausted all available avenues of negotiation, we are compelled to embark on a nationwide industrial action beginning Monday, September 8, 2025,” - NUPENG

The strike, it emphasized, aims to protect workers’ rights and ensure a competitive petroleum industry, not to inflict hardship on the public.The union has urged Nigerians for understanding and appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other labor bodies for solidarity.

Members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch have been advised to explore alternative employment or skill training if the impasse persists. NUPENG has also pressed the Federal Government to intervene and enforce compliance with labor laws.