National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) on Tuesday officially called off its strike after the Department of State Services (DSS) intervened and facilitated a truce between the federal government, oil industry stakeholders, and organised labour. The resolution was the outcome of a marathon meeting convened in Abuja, which brought together key cabinet ministers, representatives from the Dangote Refinery, and labour leaders from NUPENG, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Sources confirmed that the DSS, led by its Director General Oluwatosin Ajayi, played a critical role in steering the dialogue towards compromise after earlier rounds of talks had collapsed amid walkouts and accusations. By the end of the discussions, all parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to guarantee the protection of workers’ rights and suspend the industrial action that had brought parts of the country to a near standstill.
Before the Abuja breakthrough, the strike had wreaked havoc across many states, grounding transport systems and creating artificial fuel shortages. Filling stations in Enugu, Ondo, and Delta states either shut their gates or rationed sales to motorists, leading to long queues and black-market activity.
In Enugu, commuters lamented paying as much as N1,000 for trips that previously cost N500, while drivers said they bought fuel at N2,500 per litre on the black market. In Ondo State, NUPENG task forces forcibly shut down petrol stations on major roads, including Ondo Road and the Ilesha-Owo expressway.
Delta State unions also enforced compliance with a N1 million fine for defaulters, causing stations to secretly sell fuel to black marketers while keeping entrances locked. In Edo, the strike was partial, with independent marketers closing their stations but NNPC outlets still dispensing at official prices.
The Abuja meeting itself was not without drama. Labour leaders recounted how earlier negotiations broke down after Dangote’s representatives allegedly staged two walkouts in protest. On Arise TV, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha accused Dangote of attempting to deny workers their constitutional right to unionise, likening the refinery’s position to “slavery.”
He explained that only recognised unions such as NUPENG and PENGASSAN have the mandate to organise oil and gas workers, not informal associations like the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), whose representatives were ordered out of Monday’s meeting by the labour minister. “They even came to the meeting uninvited, and they were told that they were not a lawful organisation,” Akporeha stressed, adding that the refinery’s intransigence was insulting to both labour and the federal government team.
Similarly, TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro described the Dangote team’s walkouts as “a disrespect, not only to the entire labour movement, but to the Honourable Minister of Labour who presided over the meeting.” Speaking on Channels TV, Toro said the walkouts stalled progress and prevented meaningful engagement. “When you don’t sit at the negotiating table, how do you put the facts there? How do you look at people’s concerns?” he asked.
According to him, the unions were willing to compromise, but Dangote’s approach was “insulting and unacceptable.” This perspective underscored the tense standoff that preceded Tuesday’s eventual resolution, which came only after the DSS persuaded all parties to remain in the room until a workable deal was struck.
At the heart of the dispute was the unionisation of workers at Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals. Labour unions insisted that all employees who wish to join a union must be allowed to do so without intimidation, in line with Nigeria’s labour laws. The Dangote delegation, led by Sayyu Dantata, eventually conceded this point, with the MoU clearly stating that workers had the right to unionise, but only if they voluntarily chose to.
The agreement further emphasised that Dangote Refinery could not create its own union, a move that unions feared would undermine their influence. To demonstrate good faith, all parties committed to beginning the unionisation process immediately, with a two-week deadline set for completion, spanning from September 9 to September 22, 2025.
The MoU also carried a non-victimisation clause, ensuring that no employee of Dangote Refinery or Petrochemicals would suffer retaliation for their role in the strike or subsequent unionisation efforts. This was a key demand from labour leaders, who feared management might target outspoken workers once operations resumed.
Additionally, the document required all parties to provide feedback to the labour minister one week after completing the unionisation process. With this assurance in place, NUPENG agreed to suspend its strike “with immediate effect,” thereby ending days of nationwide disruption.
In a joint communique, Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Benson Upah, and General Secretary of the TUC, Nuhu Toro, signed on behalf of organised labour, while Sayyu Dantata signed on behalf of Dangote Refinery. The communique detailed the resolutions, reiterating that “since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees… who are willing to unionise.” The document made clear that the process must be transparent, immediate, and conducted under the supervision of established trade unions.
Meanwhile, in various states, the impact of the strike was starkly evident. In Enugu and Ondo, commuters bore the brunt as transportation costs skyrocketed due to fuel scarcity. “We don’t want Dangote to monopolise us the way he monopolised the cement industry,” Ondo’s NUPENG coordinator, Adewale Adekunle, warned.
He added that over 10,000 jobs were at risk if Dangote continued resisting unionisation, insisting that the strike was “not driven by personal interests but a desire to protect the jobs and welfare of members.” In Delta, filling stations resorted to clandestine sales to black marketers while maintaining an appearance of closure. Elsewhere, in Kano, the strike had little impact as most filling stations continued to sell fuel at the official pump price, though congestion grew in some parts of the state due to parked tanker trucks.
By Tuesday evening, fuel supply in parts of Lagos and Abuja remained relatively stable, with long queues mostly avoided, but in southern states, the effects of the strike lingered. Analysts noted that the strike exposed Nigeria’s fragility in fuel distribution networks, where even a short disruption in tanker driver operations can cause ripple effects across the economy.
The hardship faced by commuters also renewed calls for the federal government to diversify petroleum supply chains and reduce reliance on single private entities such as the Dangote Refinery. Labour activists used the opportunity to reiterate that monopoly in critical sectors like petroleum poses significant risks to jobs and economic stability.
The suspension of the strike marks only a temporary reprieve. Many observers believe the issues that triggered the action are symptomatic of broader tensions between corporate power and labour rights in Nigeria. The outcome of the unionisation process at Dangote Refinery over the coming weeks will serve as a litmus test for whether the truce holds or whether the dispute flares up again.
For now, the federal government, labour leaders, and industry stakeholders have agreed to monitor developments closely. As one official summed it up after the Abuja talks, “This resolution is a win for dialogue, but the real work begins now in ensuring that promises translate into action on the ground.”