The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has called off its two-day strike after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government and Dangote Group. The strike, which had caused fuel shortages across several states, was suspended on Tuesday evening.
At a meeting in Abuja, Dangote Refinery agreed to allow its workers to join recognised labour unions, in line with Nigeria’s labour laws. The process of unionisation is to begin immediately and be completed within two weeks. Both sides also agreed that no employee would be victimised for taking part in the strike.
NUPENG had earlier accused Dangote Refinery of trying to block drivers of its 4,000 trucks from joining the union. The union also alleged that the company attempted to form a parallel workers’ association, a move they described as illegal.
The strike had crippled fuel supply in parts of the country, leaving filling stations shut and transport fares soaring. In states like Cross River, Kaduna, Enugu, and Anambra, motorists paid as high as N1,500 per litre from black-market vendors, while transport fares doubled in many areas.
With the suspension of the strike, parties will report back to the labour minister after the two-week unionisation process. For now, Nigerians can expect a gradual return to normal fuel supply in affected states.