The war between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG), and the Dangote Group reached a new dimension on Thursday as the union accused the conglomerate of undermining workers’ rights and attempting to weaken competition in the downstream petroleum sector.
In a statement signed by NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union said Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s press statement of September 11, 2025, misrepresented facts about its relationship with workers and their freedom to join NUPENG.
The statement reads: “The Press Statement by DANGOTE Petroleum Refinery dated 11th September 2025 has further confirmed the company aims at crushing our union-NUPENG as well as crushing competition, with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel price on the long run.
“The attempt to create an illusion and misinformation of division within our Union is not only malicious but unfounded fabricated. If it was true that there was a faction in our Union, DANGOTE should have made this “faction of Tanker Drivers” to call off or stop the nationwide industrial action of Petroleum Tanker Drivers declared and directed by the NUPENG which was very effective, peaceful and one hundred percent successful. The Dangote Refinery also falsely denies it does not stop its truck drivers from belonging to NUPENG.
“However, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 9th September 2025 is predicated upon a recognition of the company’s resistance to unionisation. The birth of the MoU is therefore a confirmation of initial resistance to allowing freedom of Association.
“In spite of the MoU of 9th September 2025, on the 11th of September 2025, the Dangote Refinery directed that the stickers of NUPENG be removed from all trucks to be replaced by the sticker of the Association, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) formed by the management. Our members have stoutly resisted this development.
“Individuals who have serially lost elections within the Petroleum Tanker
Drivers (PTD) Branch of our Union since 2023 are have become spokespersons of DTCDA . Some of these individuals are among those granting media interviews in local and foreign media supporting the company.
“Nigerians should also know that some of these people are facing criminal charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja (with charge no- CR/042/23) for violent crimes committed in attempting to assassinate elected and appointed leaders of
the PTD Branch and NUPENG.
“In the attack by these agents, the General Secretary of NUPENG was beaten to Coma and was only revived in the hospital. The ongoing criminal trial against these individuals is a concrete fact that can be verified.
“Nigerians should not be deceived by the offer of free nationwide delivery of petroleum products to dispensing stations. It is to ensure that other employers of Petroleum Truck Drivers are unable to employ drivers so that only those employed by the company who are forced to join the DTCDA will remain in employment. Everything is targeted at crushing NUPENG and its PTD Branch.
“It is also noteworthy to state here that, aside from the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, there are other operational and administrative workers of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical
Company which the management has been preventing and obstructing their rights of belonging to the Union. It is on record that DANGOTE Group does not allow unionization of workers in all its cement and sugar plants across Nigeria.
“Nigerians should not support a work arrangement in which drivers and other workers in the Dangote Group will be denied the right to enjoy freedom of association and unionisation.”
As at the time of filling this report , Dangote Group had yet to respond to the latest allegations, though its earlier statement insisted that association with any trade union at its refinery is strictly voluntary and in line with Nigerian law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
