By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
Nigeria’s biggest private refinery project, the Dangote Refinery, is caught in the middle of a labour storm that could further strain the nation’s fragile fuel supply chain.
On Monday night, a Federal Government–mediated meeting between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and representatives of the Dangote Group ended in a deadlock, forcing negotiations to spill over into Tuesday.
The talks, which began at about 5:22pm on Monday and stretched beyond midnight, were punctuated by shouting matches, walkouts, and deep disagreements over the unionisation of refinery workers.
At the heart of the dispute is Dangote Refinery’s alleged resistance to unionisation by its workers a policy NUPENG has described as “anti-labour, anti-worker, and unacceptable.”
According to NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, the refinery’s stance is “a throwback to slavery” and an attempt to monopolise Nigeria’s oil sector without respect for workers’ rights.
“No oil worker will work with Dangote Group without being unionised. We cannot stand by while one investor dictates conditions that enslave workers and monopolises national resources,” Akporeha said.
NUPENG members across the country commenced a nationwide strike on Monday to press home their demands, shutting down filling stations and creating fresh anxiety for motorists already battling rising fuel prices.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, admitted after the failed meeting that no common ground had been reached but expressed hope that Tuesday’s talks could yield progress.
“We had a stalemate, and because it was getting late, we had to adjourn. By the grace of God, tomorrow we will get both parties to agree on something that will ensure the strike is called off,” he said.
The minister appealed to Nigerians to remain calm, assuring that government was committed to resolving the impasse quickly.
Dangote Group’s team, led by Sayyu Dantata, reportedly offered to allow some categories of staff to join unions, but insisted that not all employees would be eligible. NUPENG, however, rejected the partial concession, insisting that every worker must have the right to unionise.
Journalists’ attempts to hear Dangote’s side of the story after the meeting were rebuffed, as Dantata declined to speak.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which also took part in the meeting, strongly backed NUPENG. Its Head of Information, Benson Upah, accused Dangote’s representatives of arrogance, alleging that at one point they walked out on both the minister and organised labour.
“There was no agreement. Even when we bent backwards, his behaviour was uncompromising. That left us with no option but to continue the strike,” Upah said.
The Dangote Refinery, commissioned in 2023 with the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily, was widely expected to end Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on imported petrol. Instead, the ongoing labour crisis threatens to disrupt its operations before it fully takes off.
For Nigeria a country where over 90% of domestic fuel supply hinges on imports and distribution through unionised workers the stakes are high. If the strike drags on, queues at petrol stations could worsen, transport costs could spike, and inflationary pressures may deepen.
Beyond fuel shortages, the dispute also raises a bigger question: Can Nigeria balance the interests of powerful private investors with the rights of workers in critical sectors?
For now, all eyes are on Tuesday’s resumed negotiations, as Nigerians wait anxiously to see whether peace will return to the oil sector or if the standoff will escalate into a full-blown national crisis.