The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has accused billionaire Aliko Dangote and his cousin, Sayyu Dantata, of planning to dominate Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas distribution while blocking workers from joining unions.
In a statement signed by its leaders, NUPENG alleged that new drivers recruited to operate Dangote’s planned 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks would be barred from joining existing unions. Instead, the companies involved, Dangote Group and Dantata’s MRS Energy intend to set up company-controlled unions.
The union described the move as “economic sabotage,” saying it had supported the Dangote Refinery in good faith, expecting jobs and fair labour practices, but was now being “betrayed.” It warned that such practices would destroy competition, enslave workers, and raise fuel prices for ordinary Nigerians.
NUPENG urged the petroleum regulatory authority to act under the Petroleum Industry Act to stop monopolistic practices. It also cited Nigeria’s Constitution and international labour conventions, stressing that workers have the right to freely associate. The union warned that its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch would begin seeking other livelihoods from September 8, 2025, and threatened mass industrial action if the trend continues.
“We will not stand idly by while billionaires seek to enslave workers,” the union declared, calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, and global labour groups to stand in solidarity in what it described as a fight for workers’ survival.