Dangote Refinery faces backlash as NLC backs NUPENG in labour dispute, warning of strikes over alleged anti-union practices

Dangote Refinery is under mounting pressure as Nigeria’s largest labour organisation, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has thrown its weight behind the petroleum workers’ union, NUPENG, in a fast-escalating labour dispute.

Also read: Dangote Refinery petrol export hits US amid import row

The conflict stems from the refinery’s plan to deploy thousands of compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks for fuel distribution.

According to NUPENG, prospective drivers are being forced to sign undertakings not to join any union an action the union says violates Nigeria’s constitution and international conventions.

In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, NLC President Joe Ajaero branded the Dangote Group’s labour practices “crude and dangerous,” accusing the company of suppressing workers’ rights, promoting casualisation, paying some of the lowest wages in the oil and gas sector, and endangering workplace safety.

“The attack on NUPENG is an attack on us all. Nigerian workers are not slaves and cannot be serially abused without consequences,” the NLC said.

The organisation warned that such anti-union practices, if left unchecked, could set a precedent for powerful corporations to openly defy labour laws.

It pledged to mobilise Nigerian workers and unions for a united pushback, including support for NUPENG’s planned strike on September 8, 2025, which could halt fuel loading nationwide.

The NLC also criticised the group’s preference for foreign labour over qualified Nigerians, recalling previous recruitment of Indian welders and fitters while local talent remained unemployed.

NUPENG revealed that despite efforts to mediate alongside the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, both Aliko Dangote and his cousin, Sayyu Dantata, ignored appeals to allow unionisation.

Dantata’s firm, MRS Oil, reportedly began recruiting drivers last week under conditions barring them from joining unions.

The NLC has called on the Federal Government and regulators, including the Nigerian Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, to intervene immediately and enforce compliance with labour standards.

Also read: Dangote Refinery distribution plan sparks industry backlash, price surge

With the refinery at the heart of Nigeria’s industrialisation drive, observers warn that a strike could have far-reaching implications for fuel supply, economic stability, and investor confidence.