NUPENG Condemns Dangote’s ‘Anti-Union Practices,’ Threatens Shutdown
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) has accused Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, and his cousin, Sayyu Aliu Dantata, of engaging in “unlawful and unconstitutional anti-union practices,” warning that it may mobilise for a shutdown if the alleged clampdown on workers’ rights persists.
In a statement jointly signed by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union condemned the refusal of the Dangote refinery to allow newly recruited compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered tanker drivers to join existing labour unions.
It vowed that members of its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch would begin seeking alternative sources of livelihood from September 8, citing attempts to undermine organised labour in the oil and gas sector.
The union said its concerns stemmed from Dangote’s plan to replace existing tanker drivers with 4,000 new CNG-powered trucks acquired for fuel distribution nationwide.
According to NUPENG, a meeting with Dantata revealed that the recruited drivers would not be permitted to join recognised unions, but instead be compelled to form a new body under the companies’ control.
“Since Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin have resolved to replace all Petroleum Tanker Drivers in Nigeria and there is no one or institution that can stop them, our members will from Monday, 8th September 2025, start looking for alternative employments/skills and sources of livelihoods,” the statement read.
The group alleged that drivers being recruited by MRS, owned by Dantata, were already being forced to sign undertakings not to belong to any union in the oil and gas industry. It described the practice as exploitative, warning that “amassing wealth on the basis of enslavement, depriving workers of a union and voice amounts to creating filthy wealth.”
NUPENG expressed disappointment that its appeals to relevant authorities to check the alleged anti-labour stance had been ignored.
It also criticised the recruitment process at the refinery, saying it lacked fairness, justice and inclusiveness, despite labour’s earlier support for the refinery’s construction and commissioning.
The union called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the federal government and relevant agencies to intervene urgently, urging them “to call the two trillionaire businessmen to order.”
“If they persist in their anti-union tyrannical attitudes, NUPENG is set and ready to mobilise its forces to fight within the framework of the law,” the statement added.
While appealing to the public to bear with any inconvenience that may arise from its planned actions, NUPENG urged other unions and labour groups to stand in solidarity through peaceful and industrial actions.
NUPENG Condemns Dangote’s ‘Anti-Union Practices,’ Threatens Shutdown is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
