The long-standing dispute between Dangote Refinery and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has finally been settled, bringing relief to the oil and gas industry and millions of Nigerians who had been bracing for fuel scarcity.
The breakthrough was reached late Monday night at a reconvened meeting in Abuja convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, after days of tense negotiations and a nationwide strike threat that rattled the economy.
Following the resolution, NUPENG suspended its industrial action and directed its members to resume work immediately.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by both parties and senior government officials confirmed the agreement. According to the document issued by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Dangote Refinery consented to allow its employees unionize in line with Nigeria’s labour laws.
The MoU outlined key resolutions, including:
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Recognition of workers’ rights to unionization at Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.
Immediate commencement of the unionization process, to be concluded between 9th and 22nd September 2025.
Assurance that no worker would be victimized over the strike notice.
Agreement that no parallel union would be established by the company.
The agreement was endorsed by representatives of Dangote Group, NUPENG, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment.