The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), through its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch, has declared an indefinite nationwide strike beginning Monday, September 8, 2025. The action is in protest against what the union described as anti-labour practices linked to Dangote Refinery’s deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks for fuel distribution.
NUPENG explained that the refinery’s plan to roll out between 4,000 and 10,000 CNG-powered trucks posed serious concerns for existing operators and unions in the downstream sector. According to the union, newly recruited drivers were allegedly being compelled to sign agreements barring them from joining established trade unions, a development it described as a clear violation of workers’ rights.
The union cited constitutional and international provisions supporting its position, including Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of association, Section 9(6) of the Labour Act, and the International Labour Organisation’s Convention 87 on freedom of association. NUPENG stressed that these laws prohibit employers from penalising workers for joining or refusing to join trade unions.
In addition to raising concerns over workers’ rights, NUPENG accused Dangote Refinery of attempting to monopolise fuel distribution in the country, a move it believes would undermine fair competition in the downstream petroleum sector. It called on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to invoke its statutory powers under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to address restrictive practices and ensure level competition.
While assuring Nigerians that the strike was not aimed at inflicting hardship, the union maintained that the action had become inevitable after exhausting all avenues for dialogue with both the government and the company. It urged the public to understand the necessity of the move and appealed for solidarity from other labour organisations, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
