By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Ozioruva Aliu
THE Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Dingyadi, has summoned the management of Dangote group and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, to an emergency meeting today, in a frantic effort to halt the planned nationwide strike over alleged anti-union policy, among others.
The summons came against the backdrop of the oil workers’ plan to embark to begin a nationwide strike today, which is already endorsed by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.
NUPENG on Friday, alleged that “the crude and dangerous anti-union practices, monopolistic agenda, and indecent industrial relations strategies being pursued by Aliko Dangote and his associates represent not just an attack on petroleum workers, but a full-blown declaration of war against the Nigerian working class, trade unionism, and the principle of decent work.’’
The union also alleged that Dangote Refinery “pays one of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria today and treats its staff beneath acceptable standards.”
It warned that its latest recruitment condition barring drivers from joining any oil and gas union was a violation of Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the Labour Act, and ILO Conventions 98 and 87.
“This marks a dangerous road to fascism in industrial relations, where workers are treated as slaves without voice or dignity,” NUPENG warned.
A letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, dated September 6, 2025, and signed by the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, Falonipe Amo, on behalf of the minister, read: “I am directed to refer to a letter dated 6th September, 2025 with Ref No. HO/Adm/114/2025 from the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers on the above subject and invite you to a tripartite conciliation meeting with the Minister of Labour and Employment.
‘’The meeting is slated for 3 pm today at the Minister of Labour and Employment’s conference room.’’
Ahead of the meeting, leaders of NUPENG have directed all members nationwide to begin an indefinite nationwide strike, pending the resolution of all the grievances with Dangote Group.
An official of NUPENG who confirmed the invitation by the minister, said: “Though we will attend the meeting to show that we are ready for dialogue and amicable resolution of the matter, the strike goes on as planned until all the issues are resolved.”
Disowning unknown Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, DTCDA, NUPENG described the association as a “management-inspired fraud” created to weaken and divide workers.
DTCDA had weekend, urged Nigerians to disregard NUPENG’s strike alert issued by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the union.
But NUPENG in a statement by Prince Williams Akporeha, President, and Olawale Afolabi, General Secretary, rejected the group outright.
It declared: “We ask our members, members of the public and independent-minded, objective segments of the media to disregard, DTCDA and its statements.
“For the information of the public, the DTCDA is the association which Dangote Group of Companies has formed for the drivers to join compulsorily, rather than allowing them to join NUPENG which is the only statutorily recognised union authorised to unionise petroleum tanker drivers. The signatory to the statement of DTCDA, one Enoch Kanawa, is a lawyer, not a tanker driver.”
NUPENG pointed out that Kanawa had a long history with oil industry employers, not workers, explaining that “Kanawa was formerly the Executive Secretary of National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, from 2001 to 2012, left NARTO to become Legal Adviser to MRS Energy Limited of Sayyu Aliu Dantata and in 2019 came back to contest for the position of the President of NARTO but was defeated by Yusuf Othman, the current President of NARTO. ‘’These facts are to show without doubt and beyond controversy that the DTCDA is a management-inspired association and the news was created by the agents of Sayyu Aliu Dantata to create confusion and misinformation.
“DTCDA is the association formed by Sayyu Aliu Dantata, the owner of MRS. The Direct Trucking Company Limited is the recruiting company formed by him and Alhaji Aliko Dangote for the 10,000 CNG trucks they are importing.
‘’DTCDA was originally meant to be Dangote Transport Company. Its registered office is at 2, Tincan Island Port Road, Apapa, Lagos. The address of DTCDA is the same official address of MRS Energy Limited.”
Assuring members and the public of its resolve, NUPENG declared that there was no division in its ranks, despite attempts by “union busters” to sow confusion.
“There is no division in our ranks and file, our solidarity remains constant! For the union makes us strong!! Our solidarity remains constant, for the union makes us strong!”
NLC raises nationwide red alert
Meanwhile, NLC has written it’s over 54 affiliates and 36 councils to prepare to join the strike, saying the battle was for the survival of the labour movement and dignity of workers, saying it was fully in support of the action.
The President, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said: “The revelations contained in NUPENG’s statement represent not just an attack on petroleum workers, but a full-blown declaration of war against the Nigerian working class and decent work principles.
“An attack on one union is an attack on all of us. If we allow the Dangote Group to succeed in its agenda to enslave workers in the oil and gas sector, no industry, no job, and no worker in Nigeria will be safe. It will set a perilous precedent that powerful capital is above the law.
“Commence immediate internal mobilisation and sensitisation of your members on these developments. Be on standby for nationwide solidarity actions should the NLC and NUPENG call for them. Prepare to galvanise your members across all state councils to join a united front of resistance.”
The strike is expected to hit fuel supply chains first, with filling stations bracing for queues and black market prices already rising in anticipation.
Economists warn that if the impasse was not resolved swiftly, transport, power, and manufacturing sectors could grind to a halt, further deepening inflation and hardship across the country.
The NLC made clear that its solidarity was “not negotiable,” vowing to escalate the fight if Dangote failed to back down.
“If Dangote continues on this reckless anti-union path, the NLC and its affiliates will move beyond words to action. We will confront this tyranny head-on until victory is secured for Nigerian workers and the Nigerian people. We must be ready to fight. The dignity of the Nigerian worker must be protected.”
Edo NLC backs planned NUPENG strike against Dangote
Responding to the NLC’s call last night, Edo State council of the union declared support for the planned strike.
A statement by the chapter, sighed by Comrade Bernard Egwakhide, urged workers and residents in the state to get enough petroleum products that would take them for the period the industrial action would last.
He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Edo State council, is in receipt of a letter to embark on a nationwide protest by one of its affiliates in the state the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, on the monopolistic agenda in the oil sector and the draconian anti-union activities by Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cronies.
“Edo State council of the NLC wishes to state clearly that the council is in full support of the planned actions of the Warri zonal council of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, and will mobilise all its affiliates in the state in support and in solidarity with the Warri zonal council of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, which is to commence on Monday, September 8, 2025.
“We, therefore, advise Edo workers and people to get petroleum products that will take them for the period of this planned actions, as filling stations will be closed during the period.’’
Falana backs NUPENG
Reacting to the dispute yesterday, human rights activist, Femi Falana SAN, urged the federal government to call the Dangote Group to order.
He said: “We support the strike of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers against the policy of the Dangote Group to erode the rights of Nigerian workers to unionise.
“The NUPENG, has directed its large members in the oil and gas industry to embark on indefinite strike on Monday, September 8, 2025 (today).
‘’The strike is a protest against the plan of Dangote Petroleum Refinery to force newly recruited drivers to sign an undertaking not to belong to any existing union in the oil and gas industry in the country.
“The policy of the Dangote Group contravenes section 40 of the Constitution, section 12 of the Trade Union Act as well as article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
“Furthermore, the policy is a breach of the provisions of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention 1949 (No. 98) of the International Labour Organisation as well as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which have been ratified by Nigeria.
“In view of the legal obligation imposed on the Federal Government of Nigeria by the Constitution, Trade Union Act and international law to respect the fundamental right of workers to freedom of association and the right of trade unions to organise them, the registrar of trade unions should call the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to order without any delay.
‘’At the same time, the Federal Competition and Consumer Commission, FCCPC, should halt the monopolistic practices of the Dangote Group forthwith as they violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018.
“Even though powerful trade unions exist in all capitalist countries, including the United Kingdom and United States of America, the Dangote Group is determined to obliterate trade unions in Nigeria because it has been allowed to operate outside the ambit of the law.
‘’However, the Dangote Group ought to be reminded that the struggle of Nigerian workers to unionise was fought and won under the British colonial regime.
‘’To that extent, we support the strike of the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers against the policy of the Dangote Group to erode the rights of Nigerian workers to unionise.’’
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