The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its planned strike after reaching a breakthrough agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery, paving the way for workers at the multibillion-dollar facility to unionise for the first time.
The truce followed days of heightened tension after NUPENG accused the refinery of denying employees their constitutional rights to form or join trade unions. The matter drew the intervention of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and senior government officials.
At a closed-door meeting held in Abuja on Monday, September 8, 2025, and attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, labour representatives, and security chiefs, both parties agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that recognised workers’ rights to freedom of association under Nigerian labour laws.
According to the MoU, the unionisation process for Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals employees will begin immediately and must be concluded within two weeks, between September 9 and 22. The agreement also guarantees that no worker will be victimised or penalised for participating in the strike threat or unionisation drive.
Key resolutions reached included:
- Recognition of unionisation as a legal right under Nigeria’s labour laws.
- Immediate commencement of the unionisation process, to be completed within two weeks.
- Assurance that the management will not establish or sponsor an alternative union.
- A guarantee that no employee will face retaliation arising from the strike notice.
Signatories to the agreement included Managing Director of Dangote Group, Sayyu Dantata; representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA); and labour leaders such as Benson Upah of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), N.A. Toro of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUPENG President Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary Afolabi Olawale. The Federal Ministry of Labour was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, signing on behalf of the Minister.
Acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, confirmed the suspension of the strike, noting that the agreement was a major victory for workers’ rights in the oil and gas sector. The Ministry of Labour is expected to release a formal statement in the coming days.
NUPENG has since directed its members to stand down all strike actions, with both parties scheduled to report back to the Labour Ministry one week after the conclusion of the unionisation process.
The development marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s labour movement, particularly in the oil and gas sector, where unionisation has historically been a flashpoint between workers and employers.
