By Adenike Lawal
Petrol distribution across Nigeria was disrupted on Monday, September 8, as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), began a nationwide strike over alleged anti-labour practices by Dangote Refinery.
NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, said over 250,000 drivers risk losing their jobs in what the union described as an attempt to blacklist members.
He dismissed rival associations as “propaganda fronts” and denied rumours of plans to damage Dangote’s Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), trucks.
A mediation meeting with the Minister of Labour, Muhammad Dingyadi, was scheduled for Monday afternoon. Akporeha stressed the strike was not meant to sabotage the economy but to defend workers’ rights.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), urged dialogue and warned against price hikes. As of Sunday, fuel sold for ₦885–₦910 per litre in Abuja, though some outlets had raised prices to ₦950.
The Federal Government has appealed to NUPENG and the labour movement to suspend escalation and embrace dialogue.
