The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its strike after reaching an agreement with Dangote Refinery to recognise employees’ rights to unionise.
The breakthrough followed a conciliation meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Monday, 8 September 2025. The talks, mediated by the Department of State Services (DSS), also drew in Finance Minister Wale Edun, representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and senior Dangote executives.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all parties, unionisation will begin immediately and be completed within two weeks. The refinery pledged not to establish rival unions and assured that no employee would face victimisation over the dispute.
Acting NLC General Secretary Benson Upah confirmed the outcome, while the Ministry of Labour said it would release a formal statement shortly.
The strike was triggered by NUPENG’s allegation that Dangote had been hiring drivers on the condition they forgo union membership. Management rejected the claims as “cheap blackmail”.
Opened last year with a 650,000-barrel-per-day capacity, Dangote Refinery is Africa’s largest. While it has lowered petrol prices and disrupted entrenched players, it has also raised monopoly concerns.
NUPENG’s action drew backing from the NLC, the Trade Union Congress, and international groups such as IndustriALL and the International Lawyers Assisting Workers network.