Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Relief came for Nigerians on Tuesday night as the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, suspended their nationwide industrial action, following a truce brokered by the federal government and security agencies with Dangote Refinery.
The strikes, which had paralyzed fuel supply across major cities and pushed black market prices to as high as N1,800 per litre in Rivers State, were called off after marathon negotiations in Abuja involving the Department of State Services, DSS, federal ministers, organized labour leaders, and Dangote Refinery executives.
Confirming the resolution, NUPENG in a joint communiqué signed with the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Dangote Refinery stated: “Since workers’ unionization is a right in line with the provisions of extant laws, the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals agreed to the unionization of employees of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, who are willing to unionize. The process shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks, from September 9 to 22, 2025.”
The agreement, which was also endorsed by Dangote’s representative, Sayyu Dantata, emphasized that no employee would be victimized and barred the company from creating any parallel union. “It was agreed that the employer cannot set up any other union,” the document noted.
In the same vein, PETROAN National President, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, announced the immediate suspension of its action, which had halted dispensing at filling stations nationwide.
“Our members have been directed to resume dispensing nationwide immediately. We commend their 100 percent compliance during the strike and their discipline in standing firm for healthy competition in the sector,” Gillis-Harry said.
PETROAN’s spokesperson, Dr. Joseph Obele, in a statement added that the association’s decision followed “intense negotiations and a resolution mediated by Ministers, security agencies, and government agencies between Dangote Refinery and NUPENG.”
He further expressed appreciation to government stakeholders, saying: “We are thankful to the Minister of Labour, Minister of State for Petroleum, the Executive Director of NMDPRA, the Director of DSS, and the Inspector General of Police for their roles in resolving the dispute. This call-off is a positive development for the nation’s economy.”
Before the breakthrough, the industrial action had triggered widespread scarcity, long queues at depots and retail outlets, and soaring transport fares across several states.
SweetCrude Reports gathered that if prolonged, the strikes could have crippled economic activities nationwide.
With the resolution, normalcy is expected to gradually return as depots, trucks, and retail outlets resume operations today.
For many Nigerians, the strikes mark a historic moment where oil unions stood their ground, compelling Africa’s biggest refinery to concede to labour demands.
As one NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha put it at the meeting: “This is a victory for Nigerian workers, and a reminder that no one — not even the biggest refinery in Africa — is above the law.”
