Tanker drivers under the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers have threatened to stop fuel loading over the seeming cold war between them and the management of the Dangote refinery.

The crisis is arising from the plan by the Dangote refinery to import 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for the direct distribution of fuel to retailers.

Though the scheme scheduled to commence on August 15 was delayed by logistics challenges in China, the refinery told our correspondent that it would flag it off when a good number of the trucks are received.

But NUPENG, in a statement signed by its President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Friday, accused the management of the Dangote refinery of alleged anti-labour practices inimical to the survival and means of livelihoods of its members under its Petroleum and Tanker Drivers Branch.

The union lamented that the founder of the refinery, Aliko Dangote, had said that new drivers would be recruited for the imported trucks, and none of them would be allowed to join any union.

The union described the position taken by the management of Dangote refinery as an affront to the right of association, guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution, and a breach of relevant international labour laws to which Nigeria is a signatory.

NUPENG recalled several meetings it initiated, jointly with the leadership of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, to prevail on Aliko Dangote to rescind his stance on not allowing its drivers to join trade unions. However, the union expressed regret that its appeals were allegedly ignored.

“Arising from the unfortunate outcome of the meeting, the leadership of the Union have made several efforts to get relevant institutions of the country to make Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his cousin, Alhaji Sayyu Ali Dantata, follow the line of global best practices and decency, but all to no avail.

“To our utmost shock, Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata’s MRS commenced the recruitment of drivers for the imported CNG trucks on Friday, 29th August 2025. The drivers being recruited are being forced to sign an undertaking not to belong to any existing union in the oil and gas industry. NUPENG is seriously concerned and disturbed with the unconscionable business practices of Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata and Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who are scared of allowing unions to exist in their business outfits”, the statement partly read.

NUPENG said it would not stand idly by and watch while the livelihoods of thousands of workers, including tanker drivers, are destroyed.

“NUPENG stood in solidarity with Dangote Refinery during its construction and commissioning. We did so in good faith, in expectation it would create jobs, strengthen local capacity, and benefit the Nigerian people, under a conducive atmosphere for unions to thrive.

“Unfortunately, Alhaji Aliko Dangote has chosen to betray that trust by scheming to monopolise distribution, crush competition, enslave the sector, and raise prices, which would ultimately result in an attack on the living standards of the masses of ordinary Nigerians. This is not philanthropy; it is economic sabotage,” it was stated.

While appealing to relevant oil industry regulatory agencies to wade into the unfolding crisis, the union threatened it would call on its members to down tools and shun loading of petroleum products, effective from Monday, September 8.

“Meanwhile, since Alh Aliko Dangote and his cousin have resolved to replace all petroleum tanker drivers in Nigeria, and there is no one or institution that can stop him, the members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG will, from Monday, 8th September 2025, start looking for alternative employment/skills and sources of livelihoods.

“We plead with the general public to bear any inconveniences our struggle against this tyranny and indecency may cause; it is a struggle that must be waged! We call on all other industrial unions and the central labour organisations, the NLC, TUC and global union federations, to get ready to stand in solidarity with peaceful mass actions and industrial actions in defending labour rights”, the union said.

Dangote spokesperson, Anthony Chiejina, has yet to reply to messages sent to him by our correspondent.

The dispute between tanker drivers and the Dangote Refinery comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s downstream oil sector, as the country seeks to stabilise fuel distribution and cut reliance on imported refined products.

The $20bn Dangote Refinery, inaugurated in May 2023, has been hailed as a game changer for Nigeria’s energy security, with a production capacity of 650,000 barrels per day.

However, its new plan to import and operate 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks has sparked labour concerns over potential job losses for members of NUPENG.

NUPENG’s threat to halt fuel loading highlights fears of a wider labour confrontation that could disrupt petroleum product supply nationwide, potentially leading to fuel scarcity if not resolved.

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The lawmaker representing Eti Osa Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly, who doubles as the Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, has empowered 250 residents of the area with N100,000 each, totalling N25m.

Adams, whose stakeholders’ meeting is the 7th in the series, stated at the event, which was held on Thursday at Orchid Hotel, Eleganza, with the Theme: “Governance In Action: The Gains Of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” that the residents of the area believed in him to have sent him to the assembly.

“I thank you all for believing in me and for sending me to the Lagos State House of Assembly. Today, I am called ‘Honourable’ because of your belief in me. I thank you for this and I promise not to ever disappoint you

“Today, I will give out N25m cash as empowerment to 250 persons, as each of them will get N100,000. We will also give out 100 Point of Sale machines to 100 of the beneficiaries of the money today to start a business in that line.

“We are not transferring money to anybody; it will be given out in cash today,” he said.

Also speaking, Senator Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun, representing Lagos Central at the Senate and former deputy speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, revealed that the National Assembly would vote N1bn for the rehabilitation of the Lekki-Epe Expressway and that he would provide books for some students resuming schools in September.

In Lagos, local political leaders have taken empowerment to the grassroots earlier this year.

In February, a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency 01, Adewale Temitope, empowered 500 widows with cash gifts and food items within his constituency.

The initiative, tagged “A Widows’ Valentine Special,” took place at his constituency office in Ifako-Ijaiye.

On Thursday, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mojisola Meranda, also gave scholarships to some students in tertiary institutions and provided food palliatives to indigent households in the Apapa Constituency 1.

It was reported that the 10th constituency stakeholders meeting was held simultaneously on Thursday in all the 40 constituencies represented at the House, with empowerment being a front-burner.

In his speech delivered across the 40 constituencies in the state, the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, said this year’s theme, “Governance In Action: The Gains of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” was carefully chosen to highlight the tangible benefits of governance.

He said that this was in alignment with the Renewed Hope Initiative of President Bola Tinubu.

“Under the dynamic leadership of President Bola Tinubu, our nation has witnessed an inspiring transformation; a renewal of the national spirit and a reinvention of the Nigerian state.

“Today, I stand before you to celebrate these tangible achievements, to affirm our commitment to good governance and to reaffirm that our Renewed Hope is not merely a slogan, but a call to action and a vision in progress,” he said.

Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of Eti Osa East Local Council Development Area, Samson Agunbiade, said a town meeting was a golden opportunity not only to speak, but to seek cooperation of all, saying that no government could solve the people’s problems alone.

In his speech, the Deputy Chairman of Iru LCDA, Murisiq Ajasa, who represented the Chairman, said the council had done much in a month, including community engagement, and had reactivated ward level discussions.

“We have opened discussions on healthcare services for the residents. We have constructed the road on Ajose Adeogun. We have done an environmental cleanup to tackle flooding.

“Residents have asked for a reduction of noise in the area and we have taken action on this. We will keep partnering with the people and corporate organisations. We have created rapid responses for complaints about security,” he said.

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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has flagged off the distribution of fertilisers at 50 per cent subsidised rates to farmers across the six area councils of the territory.

In August, the FCT Administration distributed approximately 900 metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers, donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, to farmers in the nation’s capital.

Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, acknowledged the challenges faced by the populace regarding the high cost of food items, expressing the administration’s commitment to implementing measures to address the situation.

Speaking during the flag off of the distribution of 550 metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers, including conventional NPK, granular urea, NPK gel, and urea gel fertilisers in Abuja on Thursday, the minister, represented by his Chief of Staff, Chidi Amadi, said the aim was to boost food production, stabilise prices, and strengthen food security in the territory.

“This initiative underscores our firm commitment to food security, agricultural revitalisation, and the welfare of our people. As the FAO has emphasised, food insecurity threatens dignity, stability, and peace.

“In view of this, and in alignment with Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the FCTA has institutionalised this annual support scheme to ease production costs and enhance yields.

“The timing of this exercise is deliberate – coinciding with the farming season – to ensure that farmers can access inputs when they are most needed,” he said.

The minister warned that measures had been put in place to ensure that the resources reached genuine farmers and to prevent diversion or misuse.

He acknowledged that the fertilisers were not enough, stating that together with its partners, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Leventis Foundation, and the World Bank, the administration was prioritising capacity building and the promotion of good agronomic practices.

“Together, these interventions are reclaiming degraded lands, supporting livelihoods, and revitalising key agricultural sectors.

“Let me reaffirm that this administration remains committed to building a prosperous, inclusive and secure city,” Wike stated.

Meanwhile, the Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Ango Abdullahi, thanked the minister for his consistent support, noting that the farmers will also receive 3,500 knapsack sprayers in addition to the fertilisers, and that there was an urgent need to strengthen the sector, as the population in Abuja continued to grow.

Abdullahi said the fertilisers will be distributed to the farmers at a 50% subsidised rate “in strict adherence” to the Minister’s directives, adding that the Secretariat was aligned with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, to reposition the agricultural sector of the FCT.

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