The Federal Government has appealed to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to suspend its planned nationwide strike over a lingering dispute with Dangote Refinery.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the call in a statement issued on Sunday through the ministry’s spokesperson, Patience Onuobia. He urged the union to reconsider its decision to shut down petroleum operations beginning Monday, September 8, 2025, stressing that the oil and gas sector remains vital to Nigeria’s economy.
Last week, NUPENG directed its members to withdraw their services, accusing Dangote Refinery of engaging in anti-labour practices and seeking to “enslave Nigerian workers.” Despite government intervention, the union insisted on going ahead with the strike.
In response, Dingyadi convened a conciliation meeting between NUPENG and Dangote Refinery scheduled for Monday. He also appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw the “red alert” it issued in solidarity with oil workers.
“I invited all the parties for a meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 8, 2025. Since I have intervened, I plead with NUPENG to rescind their decision to shut down the petroleum sector. I also appeal to the NLC to stand down its red alert,” the minister said.
Confirming the meeting, NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, told *DAILY POST* that discussions with the government and Dangote Refinery would hold by 3 p.m. Monday. However, he emphasized that the strike would proceed as planned, insisting the union would not succumb to “capitalist pressure.”
Meanwhile, a civil society group, Rights for Human Dignity and Justice (RHDAJ), has urged security agencies to arrest NUPENG leaders over allegations that the union planned to set ablaze imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks belonging to Dangote Refinery.
Akporeha dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless propaganda” allegedly sponsored by the refinery.
