The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has cautioned Nigerians not to be swayed by the Dangote Refinery’s plan to begin free, direct delivery of petrol to 11 states from Monday, September 15, 2025. The union described the move as “a Greek gift” designed to undermine competition and weaken organized labor.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s School of Falsification Exposed”, NUPENG President Akporeha Williams and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale accused the refinery of operating as an “unconscionable capitalist network” bent on crushing its rivals and ultimately driving up fuel prices.
Clash Over Unionisation
The union and the refinery have been locked in a bitter dispute since Dangote allegedly barred its drivers from joining NUPENG. A recent strike was only suspended after intervention from the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
NUPENG insists Dangote has already reneged on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on September 9, 2025, citing the company’s order to remove NUPENG stickers from its trucks and replace them with those of a management-backed group, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA).
Dangote Refinery, however, maintains that union membership is voluntary and denies obstructing workers’ rights. It accused NUPENG of distorting facts to mislead the public.
NUPENG’s Concerns
The union argues that the refinery’s free fuel delivery scheme is not altruistic but a calculated strategy to monopolize the petroleum trucking sector.
“Nigerians should not be deceived by the offer of free delivery of petroleum products. It is a Greek gift to ensure that only drivers employed by Dangote—and forced into the DTCDA—remain in employment. Everything is targeted at crushing NUPENG and its PTD Branch,” the statement read.
NUPENG also accused the company of obstructing union rights across its cement and sugar operations, warning Nigerians not to support a system that denies workers freedom of association.
The union further alleged that Dangote has been sponsoring divisions within the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch since 2023, backing losing candidates to weaken its influence.
A Warning to the Public
The union reiterated its suspicion of the refinery’s long-term intentions:
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Free delivery is meant to eliminate competition.
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Union rights are being systematically suppressed.
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The eventual goal is to control the market and raise fuel prices.
NUPENG concluded with a warning:
“We are alerting the world that nothing untoward should happen to our leaders in this struggle. We know how desperate and destructive capitalists with filthy wealth can be when cornered and exposed.”
