The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Isaq Salako, has cautioned that a nationwide strike by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) could cripple hospitals across the country, given their heavy reliance on fuel-powered generators.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Salako stressed that most health facilities in Nigeria run on alternative power.
“Our hospitals are between 65 and 80 percent dependent on diesel and petrol generators. A strike by NUPENG will obviously affect the health sector, and that is something we must avoid,” he said.
The minister appealed to both sides in the dispute to prioritize the public interest.
“I urge all parties to allow reason to prevail. The ordinary citizen must be at the center of these negotiations. We don’t want a strike that will disrupt economic and social activities,” he added.
Salako acknowledged the right of workers to unionize but urged that this be balanced with the strategic role Dangote Group plays in boosting Nigeria’s domestic refining capacity.
The Dispute
NUPENG announced on Friday that its members would embark on an indefinite strike starting September 8, 2025, in protest against alleged attempts by the Dangote Refinery to stop its compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining trade unions.
While the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) distanced themselves from the planned action, NUPENG doubled down on Sunday, insisting the strike would go ahead.
The Federal Government, however, has appealed for restraint. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, in a statement signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Patience Onuobia, called on NUPENG to suspend the strike and embrace dialogue.
“I have invited all the parties for a conciliation meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 8, 2025. Since I have intervened, I plead with NUPENG to rescind their decision to shut down the petroleum sector,” Dingyadi said.
He warned that a shutdown, even for one day, would lead to billions of naira in revenue losses and impose severe hardship on Nigerians, given the sector’s centrality to the economy.
The minister also urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw its solidarity “red alert” to affiliate unions, which had been issued in protest against what it described as “anti-worker and anti-union practices” by the Dangote Group.
Falana Backs NUPENG
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, threw his weight behind NUPENG, insisting that the Dangote Group’s alleged anti-union stance violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, Section 12 of the Trade Union Act, and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Falana further argued that the policy contravenes Nigeria’s obligations under several international treaties, including International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining, as well as the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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