NUPENG vs Dangote: FG races to prevent oil workers’ strike, summons emergency meeting

The federal government has stepped in to defuse tensions between the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Refinery, urging the union to suspend its planned nationwide strike slated for Monday, September 8, 2025.

Labour and Employment Minister, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, confirmed on Sunday that he has summoned representatives of both parties to an emergency conciliation meeting in Abuja.

The intervention follows mounting concerns over allegations that the Dangote Group is resisting unionisation within its workforce.

In a statement released by the ministry’s spokesperson, Patience Onuobia, the minister appealed to NUPENG to reconsider its strike threat and called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to stand down on the “red alert” it had issued in solidarity with the oil workers.

“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.

“I also appeal to the NLC to withdraw the red alert it issued to its affiliate unions to be on standby for a nationwide strike,” Dingyadi said.

The minister warned that shutting down the petroleum sector would inflict serious damage on the nation’s economy and cause widespread suffering for citizens.

“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. It constitutes the core of the country’s economy. A strike in the petroleum sector, even for just a day, will have an adverse impact. It will not only lead to revenue losses running into billions of naira but also cause untold hardship for Nigerians,” he cautioned.

Dingyadi assured that the government is committed to brokering a settlement acceptable to both the union and the private refinery, urging all sides to give peace a chance.

“The matter will be resolved amicably to the satisfaction of all the parties involved,” he said.