FG, labour unions meeting over NUPENG, Dangote Group disagreement ends in deadlock

The closed-door meeting organised by the Federal Government to broker peace between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Group has ended in a deadlock.

The meeting was led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, as well as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, as part of efforts to resolve the industrial dispute between the two parties to avert the planned industrial action by NUPENG.

The discussion, aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute over unionisation and other related issues, failed to produce a consensus on some of NUPENG’s key demands.

Although sources confirmed that the Dangote Group had agreed to allow workers at its refinery and petrochemical plants to join NUPENG, the drafting of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, became the major sticking point.

According to insiders, representatives of the Dangote Group allegedly attempted to insert clauses described as “offensive,” which could be invoked against workers in the event of a strike.

Read Also: Let us unionise your workers – NLC tells Dangote Industries

The dispute over the MoU led the NUPENG delegation, supported by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to walk out of the meeting on two occasions.

The conciliatory session, which commenced at about 5:05 p.m., had in attendance the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Rt. Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, and representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.

The Dangote Group was represented by Sayyu Dantata and Otunba Jibrin, while NUPENG’s delegation was led by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale.

he Trade Union Congress, TUC, was represented by its Secretary General, Dr. Nuhu Toro, and Shehu Mohammed, while the NLC team included Benson Upah, Onyeka Chris, Echezona Azuzu, and Opaluwa Simon, among others.

One of the labour leaders who spoke, claimed the Dangote team walked out of the meeting after the Labour team insisted that offensive clauses would not be included in the communique.

He said, “So the strike continues.”

NUPENG had last Friday announced that its members would cease work from September 8 in protest against alleged moves by the Dangote Refinery to prevent its compressed natural gas (CNG) tanker drivers from joining labour unions.

Although both the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA) distanced themselves from the planned action, NUPENG reaffirmed on Sunday that it would proceed with the industrial action.

Read Also: No going back on Monday’s strike – NUPENG insists

Worried by the impact of the planned strike, the Federal Government on Sunday urged the union to reconsider its decision.

Dingyadi, in a statement signed by the ministry’s head of information, Patience Onuobia, appealed to NUPENG to suspend the strike and give room for dialogue.

The Minister of Labour and Employment also called on the NLC to withdraw the red alert it issued to affiliate unions, which directed them to prepare for solidarity action against what they described as “anti-worker and anti-union practices” by the Dangote Group.

The minister said, “I have invited all the parties for a conciliation meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 8, 2025. Since I have intervened, I plead with NUPENG to rescind their decision to shut down the petroleum sector from tomorrow.

“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. It constitutes the core of the economy. A strike, even for just a day, will have an adverse impact, leading to heavy revenue losses running into billions of naira and causing untold hardship for Nigerians.”

He assured Nigerians that the matter would be resolved amicably, stressing that stability in the petroleum sector was crucial to national economic well-being.