The Department of State Services (DSS) has intervened in the ongoing labor dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to prevent a collapse of the truce agreed upon on September 9, 2025. At a high-level meeting in Abuja, attended by the Minister of State for Labour, DSS Deputy Director General, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) officials, and representatives from NUPENG, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), both parties reaffirmed their commitment to the earlier agreement. The resolution mandated Dangote Refinery to restore NUPENG stickers on its trucks, which had reportedly been removed, and upheld workers’ rights to unionize under NUPENG. NUPENG, however, warned that any further violations could lead to full-scale industrial action.
The dispute stems from a September 9 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) granting workers the freedom to join unions without interference. NUPENG accused Dangote Refinery of breaching the MoU within 24 hours, a claim the company denied. In a statement by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union alleged that Dangote misrepresented facts about workers’ rights and sought to undermine NUPENG, potentially to stifle competition and raise fuel prices. NUPENG further claimed that the refinery’s operational and administrative staff, like workers in Dangote’s cement and sugar plants, face restrictions on unionization.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) urged the federal government to protect Dangote Refinery to ensure an uninterrupted petrol supply chain. In a statement by NANS Senate President Usman Adamu Nagwaza, the association emphasized that while unions play a vital role in protecting human rights, joining one should be voluntary. NANS warned that a prolonged dispute could lead to fuel scarcity, threatening Nigeria’s economic recovery under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The group also raised concerns about credible intelligence suggesting an oil cartel, notorious for fuel subsidy scams and smuggling, may be planning to sabotage Dangote’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered fuel distribution trucks, potentially by setting them ablaze.
NANS called on NUPENG to prioritize dialogue and avoid being manipulated by economic saboteurs. It urged the National Security Adviser and security agencies to safeguard critical national assets like the refinery, which it described as a vital contributor to employment and economic growth. The association stressed that any attack on the refinery would be an attack on Nigeria’s future, emphasizing the need to prevent disruptions that could reverse progress in addressing fuel scarcity.
