The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has suspended its nationwide strike after the Dangote Group agreed to allow employees of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals to join recognised labour unions.

The decision, reached at a high-level meeting convened by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment on Tuesday, brings relief to millions of Nigerians who had begun to feel the harsh impact of fuel shortages across the country.

The industrial action, which lasted for two days, had led to the closure of filling stations, fuel depots, and a surge in pump prices in several states.

Commuters in cities like Lagos, Kaduna, Cross River, Enugu, and Anambra experienced fare hikes of up to 100 per cent, while motorists in some states were forced to buy petrol from black-market vendors at prices as high as N1,500 per litre.


The crucial meeting was attended by NUPENG leaders led by National President Williams Akporeha, representatives of the Dangote Group headed by Sayyu Dantata, officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Ministry of Labour.

Also present were delegates from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

After lengthy deliberations, all parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) affirming that workers at Dangote’s facilities have the right to unionise in line with Nigeria’s labour laws.

The agreement stipulates that the unionisation process will begin immediately and be completed within two weeks, from September 9 to September 22, 2025.

The MoU also bars the management of the refinery from victimising any worker for participating in the strike or for joining a union.

Furthermore, it prohibits the establishment of any alternative or company-controlled union, a move which NUPENG had earlier accused Dangote of attempting to carry out.


Before the truce was reached, the strike had paralysed fuel supply across the country. In Kaduna, all major filling stations, including NNPC Mega Stations, Total, MRS, and Shema, were shut, forcing motorists to scramble for fuel at inflated prices.

In Enugu, transport fares doubled as buses increased prices from N300 to N500 for short routes, while black-market fuel sellers cashed in on the crisis.

In Anambra and parts of the South-East, queues stretched for hours, with commuters paying 50 per cent more for intercity and interstate travel.

In Gombe, prices at some independent filling stations climbed above N900 per litre, with attendants citing uncertainty in supply as justification for the hike.

Meanwhile, in Lagos and Warri, fuel depots belonging to firms such as RainOil, Aiteo, MAO, and Matrix were completely locked down by striking workers.

Petroleum tanker drivers also parked thousands of trucks, waiting for directives from NUPENG leaders.



The strike stemmed from allegations that the Dangote Refinery planned to exclude its 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks and drivers from joining NUPENG, preferring instead to establish an internal association.

NUPENG condemned this move, describing it as an attempt to weaken organised labour and undermine Nigeria’s oil and gas industrial framework.

Speaking on Tuesday, Akporeha insisted that the strike was not intended to sabotage the refinery but to defend workers’ rights.

“Strikes are legitimate tools in industrial relations. Our demand is simple: no employer has the right to enslave workers or prevent them from unionising.

Dangote must play by the rules, and we are glad the matter has now been resolved in the interest of peace,” he said.

He added that NUPENG, alongside the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), remained committed to supporting local refining but warned against anti-labour practices.



The suspension of the strike came as a major relief to Nigerians who had endured days of transport disruptions and skyrocketing fuel prices.

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) described the intervention as timely, warning that a prolonged strike could have crippled economic activities nationwide.

“With this resolution, we expect fuel loading to resume immediately, and stations should return to normal operations from Wednesday,” PETROAN President Billy Gillis-Harry said.



With the truce now in place, attention shifts to the implementation of the MoU and whether the Dangote Refinery will fully comply with the agreement.

The Ministry of Labour has asked all parties to report back within one week after the conclusion of the unionisation process.

Labour experts note that this development could set a precedent for industrial relations in Nigeria’s private refinery sector, especially as more players prepare to enter the downstream market.

For now, Nigerians can breathe a sigh of relief as fuel distribution gradually resumes, but the standoff highlights the fragile balance between industrial harmony and energy security in Africa’s largest economy.