Garba Mohammed
The crisis rocking Nigeria’s downstream oil sector deepened on Monday as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) made good its threat to paralyse fuel loading operations nationwide, shutting down depots and triggering fears of an imminent fuel scarcity.
The move came amid marathon talks between representatives of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, labour unions, and the Federal Government, which stretched into late Monday night without resolution. The closed-door meeting, convened at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity in Abuja, dragged on for several hours despite government mediation. It was co-chaired by the Minister of Labour, Muhammed Dingyadi, and the Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiru Onyejeocha, with officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, and representatives of the Dangote Group in attendance.
Although resolutions of a proposed Memorandum of Understanding were tabled, sharp disagreements—particularly from Dangote’s team—stalled the signing, leaving the dispute unresolved as of 10:15 pm.
On Monday, compliance with NUPENG’s directive was near-total. Tanker drivers parked thousands of trucks at depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, and other cities, refusing to load fuel. In Port Harcourt, Aradel refinery was shut down, while the Kwale Hydrocarbon facility in Delta State was sealed.
In Lagos, depots belonging to Aiteo, RainOil, Shell+, Integrated Oil and Gas, and others had their gates locked. In Warri, Matrix, Parker AY Shafa, and multiple depots also joined the strike. The enforcement spread to Sokoto, where filling stations across the state capital were closed. Union officials blocked major highways linking Sokoto to neighbouring states, placing barricades and disrupting tanker movements.
Residents expressed shock at the sudden development. A commercial tricycle operator, Bello Musa, lamented that if the shutdown continued, transport fares would skyrocket and ordinary Nigerians would bear the brunt. NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, confirmed what he described as “100 per cent compliance” nationwide, accusing Dangote and MRS of plotting to replace existing tanker drivers with new recruits barred from joining unions.
In a show of solidarity, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) warned it could shut down Dangote Refinery operations if unionisation rights were not respected. General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the refinery of resisting unionisation since inception despite diplomatic interventions. He declared that failure to recognise workers’ rights would no longer be tolerated, insisting that if the situation persisted, the union would have no option but to shut down refinery operations.
The crisis widened as other key associations threatened to pull out of the petroleum supply chain. The National Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) President, Bennett Korie, ordered suppliers to construction companies, telecoms, hotels, and industries to stop services from Tuesday morning unless the crisis was resolved.
Similarly, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) instructed members to halt sales from midnight Tuesday, while the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) also signalled its readiness to join. However, the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) called for urgent resolution to avert a nationwide fuel crisis.
Though Monday passed without severe shortages, stakeholders warned that if depots remain locked, fuel scarcity could bite hard in days, sending transport costs soaring and worsening Nigeria’s economic hardship. The unions are united on one demand: full unionisation rights for Dangote refinery workers and tanker drivers. The Dangote Group has not yet issued an official response to the escalating shutdown.