How NUPENG, Dangote agreed, ending nationwide strike

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has agreed to call off its industrial action following an understanding reached yesterday with Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

NUPENG had embarked on the industrial action on Monday, September 8, 2025, to protest the policy of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited prohibiting its employees from engaging in unionisation with registered labour unions.

The agreement to suspend the strike is part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the union and the company at the end of the conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, to resolve the differences between the parties.

The conciliation meeting, which started on Monday at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, continued yesterday at the Headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) with the Minister conciliating.

At the end of deliberations, the parties resolved that the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals would allow the unionization of employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionize.

They also agreed that the process of unionization should commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th – 22nd September, 2025), and the employer would not set up any other union.

According to the MOU, the parties would revert to the Minister of Labour and Employment a week after the conclusion of the engagement.

The parties also agreed that no worker or employee of Dangote refinery and Petrochemical will be victimized on account of the strike.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Managing Director of Dangote Group, Sayyu Dantata; the representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, and the representative of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NMDPRA), O. K. Ukoha.

The other signatories are the representative of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade N.A. Toro; Otunba Jibrin (Dangote Group); NUPENG President, Comrade Akporeha Williams; NUPENG General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, and Director, Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations, Falonipe Amos for the Minister of Labour and Employment.

Meanwhile, Dingyadi thanked the Managing Director of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, Sayyul Dantata, and his team, as well as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and NUPENG for their understanding and cooperation during the conciliation meetings.

He also commends the Director General of the DSS and his management team for coordinating this peaceful settlement and for their support and cooperation.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts