NUPENG Suspends Strike After Agreement With Dangote Refinery

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its planned nationwide strike following a breakthrough agreement with the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals on workers’ rights to unionise.

The deal was sealed during a closed-door conciliation meeting on Monday, September 8, 2025, convened by the Department of State Services (DSS) and attended by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by all parties, the refinery formally recognised the right of its employees to unionise in line with Nigeria’s labour laws and international conventions.

The MoU stipulates that:

. The unionisation process will commence immediately and be concluded between September 9 and 22, 2025.
. No employee will be victimised for participating in union activities or for the earlier strike notice.
. All parties will report back to the Minister of Labour one week after the conclusion of the exercise.

Following the agreement, NUPENG suspended its strike with immediate effect, averting the nationwide fuel scarcity and economic disruptions that were expected had the strike gone ahead.

The memorandum was signed on behalf of the Dangote Group by Sayyu Dantata, Managing Director, alongside Ojimba Jibrin for Dangote Group, and O.K. Ukoha for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

Labour representatives who signed included Benson Upah (NLC Acting General Secretary), N.A. Toro (TUC), Williams Akporeha (NUPENG President), and Afolabi Olawale (NUPENG General Secretary).

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos O. Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, who signed on behalf of the Honourable Minister.

With this truce, the federal government expressed optimism that industrial peace in the petroleum sector will be maintained, while labour leaders hailed the resolution as a victory for workers’ rights and democratic principles in the workplace.