By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Department of State Services (DSS) has successfully intervened in the standoff between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Group, leading to the suspension of a nationwide strike that had already begun to disrupt fuel supply across the country.
The dispute, which centered on the right of workers at the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals to unionise, had pitched the powerful oil workers’ union against Africa’s largest conglomerate. Tensions heightened when NUPENG members commenced industrial action, shutting down filling stations in several states and raising fears of scarcity.
On Tuesday, the DSS convened a high-level closed-door meeting at its Abuja headquarters, which lasted nearly six hours. The meeting, which started at about 1:35 pm and ended around 7:15 pm, brought all contending parties to the table under the watch of top government officials.
Three federal ministers – Wale Edun (Finance), Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi (Labour and Employment), and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (Minister of State for Labour and Employment) – were present to guide the peace process. Also in attendance were the Managing Director of Dangote Group, Alhaji Sayyu Dantata, alongside union leaders led by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General Secretary Olawale Afolabi.
Representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also joined the meeting, reflecting the seriousness of the matter. According to security sources, President Bola Tinubu personally directed DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, and the Labour Minister to ensure the impasse was resolved to protect Nigerians from further hardship.
“The President had to intervene in the matter directly by directing the DG DSS and the Minister of Finance to quench the looming industrial disharmony. Their one-day action had already threatened petroleum supply and distribution across the country,” a senior security official told Daily Trust.
By the end of deliberations, all parties agreed to uphold Nigeria’s labour laws, particularly the constitutional right to freedom of association. It was resolved that workers must not be compelled to join a union, but should equally not be denied the right to freely associate with NUPENG or any other recognised labour body.
The breakthrough was sealed with the signing of a three-page Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by NUPENG, Dangote Group, NLC, TUC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). The MoU stipulates that the unionisation process will commence immediately and be completed within two weeks, from September 9 to September 22, 2025.
Specifically, Dangote Group agreed that workers at its refinery and petrochemical subsidiaries who are willing to join unions can do so without interference. It was also resolved that the company would not establish or sponsor any rival unions to weaken existing labour organisations in the oil and gas sector.
To further reassure workers, the agreement provided that no employee of Dangote Refinery or Petrochemicals would face victimisation as a result of the industrial dispute. Parties also committed to reporting back to the Minister of Labour a week after the conclusion of the unionisation process.
With these concessions, NUPENG announced the immediate suspension of its strike. The union’s President, Williams Akporeha, hailed the development as a “victory for Nigerian workers” and applauded the solidarity shown by sister unions, the media, and the general public throughout the standoff.
“Victory is ours finally. We have won. We are calling off the strike and resume work. Communique granting recognition for unionisation in Dangote Group has been finally signed by all parties. Thank you all for the support and solidarity,” Akporeha declared after the MoU signing.
The truce marks the end of days of uncertainty in the downstream petroleum sector, restoring confidence in fuel supply and demonstrating the central role of dialogue and negotiation in resolving industrial disputes in Nigeria.