The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has officially suspended its planned strike after reaching an agreement with Dangote Refinery on the right of workers to unionise.
The decision followed a high-level closed-door meeting convened by the Department of State Services (DSS), with the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) representatives also in attendance.
Confirming the outcome, Acting NLC General Secretary, Benson Upah, said the two parties had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) ensuring the enforcement of union rights, in accordance with Nigeria’s labour laws.
A formal statement from the Ministry of Labour and Employment is expected soon.
The agreement followed a conciliation meeting held on Monday, September 8, 2025, after NUPENG threatened to down tools over Dangote Refinery’s initial refusal to recognise workers’ right to organise under a union.
According to the MoU:
- Unionisation is affirmed as a legal right, and employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals will be allowed to unionise.
- The unionisation process is to begin immediately and be concluded within two weeks (from September 9 to 22, 2025).
- No employee will face retaliation or victimisation for being part of the union or for participating in strike-related activities.
As part of the agreement, NUPENG has suspended its strike action with immediate effect.
All parties are expected to report back to the Minister of Labour one week after the conclusion of the unionisation process.
The MoU was signed by representatives of both the Dangote Group and the labour unions.
Signatories included:
- Sayyu Dantata, Managing Director, Dangote Group
- O.K. Ukoha, for the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA)
- Ojimba Jibrin, Dangote Group
- Benson Upah, NLC
- N.A. Toro, Trade Union Congress (TUC)
- Akporeha Williams, President of NUPENG
- Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary of NUPENG
- Amos O. Falonipe, Director of Trade Union Services & Industrial Relations, who signed on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
