By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike following a deal reached with the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.
The industrial action, which lasted two days, had forced several fuel stations across the country to shut down, creating concern over possible shortages.
The dispute centered on allegations that Dangote Group denied its staff the right to join recognised labour unions.A conciliation meeting brokered in Abuja by the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, led to extensive deliberations between both parties.
The talks resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).The document stated: “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 unionization of employees of Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionize.
“That the process of unionization 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 Petrochemicals will be victimized.”
With the resolution in place, NUPENG officially called off the strike and pledged to ensure that the terms of the agreement are implemented.