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By Victor Osula, Abuja
The scarcity of fuel looms in Nigeria as the Nigeria Union of oil and natural gas workers, Nupeng, notified the government of its plan to start a strike at national level from Monday 8 September 2025, to protest against what has described as anti-union work practices from the refinerry of dance in the implementation of compressed natural gas recently imported throughout the country.
The National President of the Union, Prince Williams Akporeha, and the Secretary General, Afolabi Olawale, said that the refinery plan was unable to welcome the interest of petrol drivers in the Union, making them redundant.
According to the leaders of Nupeng, the largest implications of the unfolding of the refinery of those 10,000 trucks imported for the national distribution of oil and diesel products, initially seemed to be a welcome investment in the downstream sector, but raised questions between the interested parties, including the National Association of Road Transport Owners, Narto, for its wider implications.
To solve the feared implication, Akporeha and Olawale said that Nupeng and Narto asked for a meeting with Aliko Dangote, who was held on June 23, 2025, with Alhaji Sayyu Dantata representing him. In that meeting, the union said that it was informed that the trucks would be managed according to a new agreement that excluded existing unions.
According to Nupeng, the recruitment of drivers for trucks began on 29 August 2025 and according to what was reported to applicants, companies were required not to join the unions existing in the oil and gas industry. The union described it as opposed to the established labor rights.
“The recruitment that is carried out on condition not to join the existing unions is a matter of serious concern for us. This requirement does not align with the constitution, the legislation of work or to the international conventions of Nigeria.”
Nupeng quoted section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of association, as well as section 9 (6) of the Labor Act, which prohibits the penalty of workers for adhesion or not adhere to the unions.
He also referred to the ratification of the Nigeria of Convention no. 87 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the freedom of association, underlining that the agreement is binding and applicable pursuant to section 254C (2) of the Constitution.
“As a general secretary of Nupeng, my duty is to protect the well -being of our members,” said Olawale, adding that “the intention of the polite refinery is to throw workers in unemployment, many of whom have done that job for over 40 years. This is unfair, unfair and incredible”.
Nupeng invited the Nigerian Midstream and the downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Nmdpra) to exercise its statutory powers pursuant to section 32 of the Petroleum Industry Act (Pia) to promote competition and prevent restrictive practices in the oil sector.
They said that the strike would go on as expected because, despite the repeated efforts to involve both the government agencies and the companies involved, no satisfactory resolution had been achieved.
“Having exhausted all the available roads of dialogue, we have no choice but to take industrial action at national level starting from Monday 8 September 2025,” said the union.
Nupeng assured the public that the strike did not intend to create difficulties but to safeguard the rights of workers and guarantee an oil and competitive petroleum industry. They appealed to the Nigerians for understanding and invited other Labor organizations, including Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Union Congress (TUC), to show solidarity.
They also recommended members of the Petroliere di Nupeng di Nupeng Branch members to start looking for alternative work or skills training if the issue has not been resolved.
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