The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) suspended its nationwide strike yesterday after reaching an agreement with Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals management.
The agreement comes after days of strike action by NUPENG, which accused the Dangote Group of denying employees the right to join recognised labour unions.
The dispute escalated into a standoff, prompting a reconciliation intervention by the federal government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment that ended in a deadlock on Monday night.
At a conciliation meeting by the minister, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, both parties held lengthy discussions that produced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Abuja.
According to the resolutions, Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals formally agreed to allow willing employees to join registered unions.
The unionisation process will begin immediately and is expected to be concluded within two weeks, between September 9 and September 22, 2025.
The agreement also prohibits the creation of a parallel union within the Dangote Group’s refinery or petrochemicals arm. Both sides agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in or supporting the strike.
The agreement’s signatories are Sayyu Dantata and Otunba Jibrin Otan, representing Dangote Group; acting general secretary Comrade Benson Upah; and general secretary Comrade Nuhu Toro, representing the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC).
Comrade Akporeha Williams, NUPENG president; Comrade Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG general secretary; and Falonipe, Amos. O, director, trade union services and industrial relations, who signed for the minister of labour and employment, is an all-signatory to the agreement.
The MoU reads, “That since workers’ unionisation is a right in line with the provisions of the extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionisation of employees of Dangote Refinery and the unionisation of employees of Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionise.
That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th to 22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union”,
It continued, “Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised. Parties will revert to the Honourable Minister of Labour a week after the conclusion of the engagement. Based on the MoU, NUPENG agreed to suspend the industrial action immediately.”
How DSS Brokered Deal
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called off its industrial action after the Department of State Services (DSS) brokered a truce between the Federal Government, oil industry stakeholders, and organised labour.
The resolution, it was gathered, followed a high-level meeting convened in Abuja with key government officials, representatives of Dangote Refinery, and leaders of major trade unions.
Those in attendance included the Minister of Finance, Mr Wale Edun; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi; the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and the Dangote Refinery delegation, led by Alhaji Sayyu Dantata.
Also present were labour leaders: Mr Akpouha Williams of NUPENG, Mr Benson Upah of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Dr NA Toto, mni+, of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
After hours of deliberation, both parties resolved to uphold existing labour laws, emphasising that employees must not be compelled to join any union and should retain the freedom to either affiliate with or decline membership of any labour body.
Other outstanding issues of contention were also resolved, culminating in all stakeholders signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The agreement immediately suspended NUPENG’s strike action, which threatened to disrupt petroleum supply and distribution across the country.
Government officials hailed the outcome as a significant step towards industrial peace, while labour leaders reaffirmed their commitment to protecting workers’ rights within the boundaries of the law.
