The federal government has waded into the face-off between the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Refinery, appealing to the union to suspend its planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin on Monday, September 8, 2025.
Minister of labour and employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, on Sunday, confirmed that he has summoned all parties to a conciliation meeting on Monday in Abuja.
The move followed rising tensions over Dangote Group’s alleged policy against unionisation of its workers.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s head of information and public relations, Patience Onuobia, Dingyadi urged NUPENG to rescind its decision to shut down operations in the petroleum sector and appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to withdraw the “red alert” it issued to its affiliates in solidarity with the oil workers.
“I have invited all the parties for a conciliation meeting tomorrow, Monday, September 8, 2025. Since I have intervened, I plead with NUPENG to rescind their decision to shut down the petroleum sector from tomorrow.
“I also appeal to the NLC to withdraw the red alert it issued to its affiliate unions to be on standby for a nationwide strike,” Dingyadi said.
The minister warned that industrial action in the petroleum sector would trigger widespread hardship across the country and inflict heavy losses on government revenue.
“The petroleum sector is very important to this country. It constitutes the core of the country’s economy. A strike in the petroleum sector, even for just a day, will have an adverse impact. It will not only lead to revenue losses running into billions of naira but also cause untold hardship for Nigerians,” he cautioned.
He also called on all stakeholders to allow peace to prevail, assuring that government will broker a resolution acceptable to both labour and the private refinery.
“The matter will be resolved amicably to the satisfaction of all the parties involved,” the Minister stated.
