Samuel Omang
Nigeria is staring down the barrel of a crippling fuel crisis as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has declared a nationwide strike beginning Monday, September 8, 2025.
The union says the industrial action is a direct response to what it calls “union-busting and anti-labour practices” tied to Dangote Refinery’s controversial deployment of 10,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks. Already, anxiety is spreading across cities as Nigerians brace for long queues and possible black-market fuel sales.
NUPENG’s statement, signed by its National President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, accused the Dangote Group of deliberately undermining existing unions in the oil and gas sector.
The storm has been building since June 14, when Alhaji Aliko Dangote announced plans to bring in 4,000 CNG trucks, later increased to 10,000. Initially hailed as a bold move to modernise the downstream sector, the initiative quickly drew suspicion. At a June 23 meeting with stakeholders, Dangote’s cousin, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, reportedly revealed that the trucks would operate under a new arrangement that excluded recognised trade unions.
Matters came to a head on August 29 when NUPENG alleged that recruitment of drivers for the new fleet began under the condition that applicants sign undertakings not to join existing oil unions. “This is illegal, unconstitutional, and a direct attack on workers’ rights,” the union declared.
NUPENG cited Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, and Section 9(6) of the Labour Act, which forbids discrimination against workers for union membership. It also pointed to Nigeria’s ratification of ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association, stressing that these violations cannot be ignored.
Despite repeated appeals to government agencies, including the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), NUPENG said no meaningful intervention has been made. “Having exhausted all dialogue options, we are compelled to embark on a nationwide industrial action starting Monday, September 8, 2025,” the statement read.
The union insisted the strike is not aimed at punishing Nigerians but at defending workers’ rights and stopping monopolistic practices in the petroleum sector. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has already pledged its backing, warning that any government attempt to crush the strike would escalate tensions nationwide. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is also expected to join in solidarity.
Petroleum tanker drivers, a vital branch of NUPENG, have been advised to prepare for alternative employment or skill training should the standoff continue.
At press time, the Dangote Group had not responded to the allegations. The Federal Government, too, has remained silent, but industry watchers warn that if the deadlock is not broken, fuel queues could paralyse the country within 72 hours. With petrol consumption already down 28 percent this year, the impending strike threatens to destabilise the fragile economy and heap fresh hardship on millions of Nigerians.
As the countdown to Monday ticks away, the nation waits anxiously. The pumps may soon run dry, the black market may roar back to life, and Nigerians may once again find themselves caught in the crossfire of a bitter labour war.