The ongoing frosty relationship between Dangote and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) may have taken a different dimension as the Department of State Services (DSS) has summoned the management of bith parties to an emergency meeting following fresh tensions over alleged violations of a labour agreement.
The meeting, which was scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday in Abuja, was expected to be attended by representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and other key stakeholders.
The development comes barely three days after the management of Dangote Refinery and NUPENG signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the DSS headquarters in Abuja.
The agreement, reached on September 9, guaranteed workers the freedom to join unions of their choice without interference.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by NLC and TUC leaders, government ministers, and senior security officials.
However, the truce collapsed within 24 hours, with NUPENG accusing the company of reneging on its commitments and influencing rhe workers freedom of association.
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Dangote Group denied the claims, but the row deepened on Thursday when NUPENG alleged that the company had misrepresented facts in a press release dated September 11.
In a strongly worded statement signed by Williams Akporeha, NUPENG President, Afolabi Olawale, General Secretary, the union said the company’s position was part of a wider strategy to “crush” the union and weaken competition in the oil downstream sector.
“The press statement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery dated 11th September 2025 further confirms the company’s aim to crush our union, NUPENG, as well as stifle competition, with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel prices in the long run,” the union leaders said.
NUPENG also accused Dangote of attempting to impose a rival body, the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association (DTCDA), on its workers by ordering the removal of NUPENG stickers from trucks.
The directive, the union said, was resisted by members.
The union further alleged that some individuals who lost Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) elections since 2023 were now fronting for the new association and granting media interviews in support of the company.
It claimed some of these individuals were facing criminal charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court over violent attacks against NUPENG leaders, including an incident in which its general secretary was beaten into a coma.
On Dangote’s recent promise of free nationwide fuel delivery, NUPENG urged Nigerians to be cautious, warning that the move was designed to make other employers dependent on Dangote drivers and undermine workers’ rights.
The statement also expanded its criticism to other Dangote businesses, alleging a long-standing policy of suppressing unionisation in the group’s cement and sugar subsidiaries.
“Aside from tanker drivers, operational and administrative staff at the refinery have been obstructed from exercising their right to unionise.
“It is on record that Dangote Group does not permit unionisation in its cement and sugar plants across Nigeria,” the statement read.
Dangote Group had maintained that association with any trade union at its refinery was strictly voluntary, in line with Nigerian law and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
