Tuesday September 09, 2025
By TheNewsDESK |
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has suspended its ongoing nationwide strike over its face-off with the Dangote Group.
NUPENG had on Monday declared a nationwide industrial action to protest the refusal of the Dangote Group to allow its workers to join the union, particularly NUPENG.
NewsDESK gathered that the strike was called off after parties reached an agreement at a meeting convened by the Department of State Services, DSS. The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Labour and Finance, as well as officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at the meeting, both parties agreed that unionisation is a right under extant labour laws, and employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals who wish to unionise would be allowed to do so.
The MoU further stated that the process of unionisation would begin immediately and be completed within two weeks.
“After exhaustive deliberations, the following resolutions were reached by both parties:
“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 – 22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union.
“Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised,” the MoU read.
In line with the agreement, NUPENG suspended its strike with immediate effect, while parties are expected to report back to the Minister of Labour a week after the conclusion of the exercise.
The memorandum was signed on behalf of the management by Managing Director Dangote Group, Sayyu Dantata, O.K. Ukoha for Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Ojimba Jibrin, Dangote Group
It was also signed by representatives of labour unions: Benson Upah for Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), N.A. Toro for Trade Union Congress (TUC), NUPENG President Akporeha Williams, and General Secretary of NUPENG, Afolabi Olawale.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment was represented by Amos Falonipe, Director, Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations, signing on behalf of the Minister.
