The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) suspended its strike on Tuesday after security and labour officials brokered peace in Abuja.
The Department of State Services (DSS) led the talks, which brought together ministers, labour leaders, and representatives of Dangote Refinery.
Before this truce, the strike had already grounded business in many states. Long fuel queues returned, while commuters faced harsh transport fares. Some drivers said they bought four litres at ₦10,000 on the black market.
At the meeting, the refinery agreed that workers could freely join unions. “Since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the laws, the management agreed to unionise employees willing to join,” the Memorandum of Understanding stated.
The communique also made clear that Dangote cannot create another union. Both sides agreed to complete the process of unionisation by September 22, 2025. No worker will be victimised for participating.
Walkouts, Insults, and Frustration
Labour leaders accused Dangote’s team of disrespect. NUPENG President Williams Akporeha said on Arise TV, “Dangote is not prepared to have workers that will have a say in his employment. To us, that is slavery.”
TUC’s Nuhu Toro told Channels TV, “The walkout was insulting, unacceptable. How do you listen to workers’ concerns if you don’t sit at the table?”
In Ondo, NUPENG shut filling stations along major roads. Adewale Adekunle, the state coordinator, said, “We don’t want Dangote to monopolise us the way he monopolised the cement industry.” He warned that over 10,000 jobs were at stake.
Delta saw partial compliance. Some stations opened briefly before locking gates, later selling secretly to black marketers. In Enugu, transport was paralysed. Fares jumped by more than 30%.
Meanwhile, Kano residents enjoyed normal supply and prices, despite the national action. But tanker drivers parked along highways, causing congestion in Maiduguri Road and Zaria Road areas.
The strike’s suspension restored some calm, but questions remain: Will this fragile truce hold? Why did Dangote think it could block unionism of its workers in the first place?
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