BREAKING: Strike Suspended as Labour Ministry Brokers Deal, Gives Dangote Two Weeks to Unionize Workers

A major industrial strike has been suspended after the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment brokered a deal between the management and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The agreement, signed on Tuesday, September 9th, 2025, mandates the management of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to immediately begin the process of unionising its employees.

The company has been given a strict two week deadline, from the 9th to the 22nd of September, to complete the process.

This resolution comes after NUPENG had issued a formal threat to embark on industrial action. One of the union’s primary grievances was the management’s continued refusal to allow its employees to be unionised by registered labour unions, a right enshrined in Nigerian labour laws.

During the conciliation meeting called by the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, the company’s position shifted. The management stated that they were “not averse to the unionization of their employees by labour unions in tandem with the provisions of the extant labour laws.”

Following exhaustive deliberations, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached. The management formally agreed to the unionisation of any employees who are willing to join. A key term of the deal is that “the employer will not set up any other union,” ensuring the independence of the process. Furthermore, the agreement guarantees that no worker will be victimised as a result of the initial strike notice.

Based on this MoU, NUPENG agreed to immediately suspend its planned industrial action. The parties are to revert to the Honourable Minister one week after the unionisation process is concluded.

The dispute began when NUPENG, representing the interests of workers at one of Africa’s largest refineries, declared its intention to strike after alleging that the management was blocking its employees from exercising their legal right to organise and join a union, setting the stage for the crucial intervention by the Federal Ministry of Labour.