The Department of State Services (DSS) has summoned the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to an emergency meeting as tensions escalate over an alleged breach of a labour agreement.
The meeting, scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, will also involve representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other critical stakeholders, according to sources familiar with the matter.
At the heart of the dispute is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on September 9, 2025, at the DSS Headquarters in Abuja. The agreement, witnessed by officials from the Trade Union Congress (TUC), relevant ministries, and labour leaders, guaranteed workers at Dangote facilities the freedom to join any union of their choice without interference.
Union Alleges Breach of Pact
Barely 24 hours after the MoU was signed, NUPENG accused Dangote of violating the agreement, a claim the company has strongly denied. However, the union doubled down on its position on Friday morning, alleging that the company’s actions contradict its public statements.
In a joint statement signed by NUPENG President Prince Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, the union claimed that Dangote’s press release on September 11, 2025, deliberately misrepresented the facts and attempted to distort its relationship with workers.
“The statement by Dangote Refinery confirms its intent to crush our union and monopolise the transport sector, which could ultimately lead to higher fuel prices for Nigerians,” the union declared.
NUPENG also rejected the claim that a breakaway faction of its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch exists.
“If such a faction existed, the company should have persuaded them to end the nationwide tanker drivers’ strike, which was peaceful, coordinated, and completely successful,” the union said.
NUPENG alleges that after the MoU was signed, Dangote management instructed drivers to remove all NUPENG stickers from their trucks and replace them with those of the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) a group the union claims was created and funded by the company.
“Our members have resisted these attempts,” the statement said, alleging that the company is trying to install failed union candidates as leaders of this parallel association.
The union further claimed that some individuals backing the company are facing criminal charges at the FCT High Court (Charge No. CR/042/23) for violent attacks against NUPENG officials. One of the incidents allegedly left the union’s General Secretary in a coma following a physical assault.
Responding to Dangote’s recently announced free fuel delivery initiative, the union cautioned Nigerians not to be swayed by what it described as a “Greek gift.”
“The aim is to discourage other companies from hiring tanker drivers, forcing more workers into the arms of Dangote’s preferred association,” the union warned.
NUPENG also raised concerns that administrative and operational staff at the refinery are being denied their right to unionise, in line with what it says is a pattern across Dangote’s cement and sugar plants.
“This isn’t just about tanker drivers. This is about a broader agenda to deny thousands of workers the freedom of association, which is guaranteed by law,” the union said.
The DSS-led meeting is expected to serve as a make-or-break moment in the ongoing standoff between one of Africa’s largest industrial conglomerates and one of the most powerful unions in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
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