Samuel Omang
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike after a dramatic standoff with the Dangote Group, averting what could have been a crippling fuel crisis across the country.
The union had on Monday declared an industrial action to protest the Dangote Group’s alleged refusal to allow its workers to join NUPENG, accusing the conglomerate of trampling on workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
The strike sparked widespread anxiety, with long queues forming at filling stations in Lagos, Abuja, and other cities as Nigerians rushed to secure fuel supplies. Analysts warned that a prolonged shutdown could have paralysed transportation, businesses, and national economic activity.
Relief came late Tuesday after an emergency meeting brokered by the Department of State Services (DSS). The high-level negotiations drew in the Ministers of Labour and Finance, senior officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and Dangote executives led by Seyu Dantata.
Though details of the truce remain under wraps, sources confirmed that both parties reached a temporary settlement to defuse tensions. NUPENG leaders said the strike was being suspended to give room for implementation of the commitments agreed at the talks.
The labour movement had earlier received a powerful backing from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which warned that denying oil workers the right to unionise could spark a broader nationwide uprising. The NLC branded the Dangote Group’s actions as an assault on organised labour, raising fears that the crisis might spiral into a wider confrontation between government, business, and workers.
The suspension of the strike brings temporary calm, but labour leaders have vowed to resume action if the Dangote Group reneges on its promises. For many observers, this showdown highlights the fragile balance in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, where disputes over union rights and workers’ welfare often collide with the interests of powerful corporations.
With the Dangote Refinery now a central player in Nigeria’s energy future, the outcome of this truce may set a precedent for industrial relations in the country’s most strategic industry.