Petrol distribution across Nigeria has been shut down by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) following a face-off with Dangote Refinery that escalated on Monday, September 8.

NUPENG’s National President, Williams Akporeha, said the industrial action was necessary to protect the interests of Nigerian workers.

The dispute stems from allegations that Dangote Refinery plans to terminate the services of thousands of tanker drivers because of their affiliation with NUPENG. The union condemned the move as a violation of labour rights and described it as an anti-worker practice.

According to Akporeha, about 250,000 drivers could lose their jobs if the plan is not stopped. He stressed that the protest was aimed at preventing exploitation and safeguarding workers from “slavery-style employment practices.”

“Our members with Dangote Refinery and MRS are about to be thrown out, with new recruits expected to sign clauses preventing them from joining our union. We cannot allow this. This struggle is for the interest of Nigerians,” he said.

He also dismissed allegations that NUPENG members planned to destroy Compressed Natural Gas trucks, describing such claims as false propaganda orchestrated by opponents.

Akporeha expressed optimism that a meeting scheduled for 3 pm on Monday with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, and representatives of Dangote Refinery would help resolve the crisis. He maintained that the union’s action was not intended to cripple the economy but to uphold workers’ rights.

Meanwhile, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has appealed to both NUPENG and Dangote Refinery to resolve their differences in the national interest. IPMAN’s National President, Abubakar Maigandi, urged both parties to embrace dialogue and warned marketers against hiking fuel prices during the crisis.

Both Akporeha and Maigandi insisted that no filling station should exploit the strike as an excuse to raise pump prices.

As of Sunday, most filling stations in Abuja maintained pump prices between N885 and N910 per litre, though Empire filling station raised its price to N950 from N899.

The Federal Government has also intervened, urging NUPENG and the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve the planned strike to prevent further escalation.