Labour Unions Set For Showdown With Dangote As NUPENG Strike Looms

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has thrown its weight behind the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) in its dispute with the Dangote Group, warning of nationwide solidarity action if the company fails to change its labour practices.

NUPENG announced it will begin a nationwide strike tomorrow, accusing the conglomerate of union-busting, exploitative labour conditions, and monopolistic control in key sectors. The union also alleged that Dangote Refinery pays some of the lowest wages in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry while subjecting workers to poor and unsafe conditions.

The NLC, in a statement signed by its president Joe Ajaero, directed workers across the country to prepare for mass action. The statement condemned what it described as Dangote’s record of suppressing trade unions, casualising labour, and relying heavily on foreign workers at the expense of qualified Nigerians.

According to the NLC, the actions of the group amount to an attack on the Nigerian working class and a direct violation of labour rights enshrined in the constitution and international conventions. It argued that the Dangote business model exploits state support and market dominance to raise prices, deepening poverty instead of driving national development.

The union pointed to examples where workers were denied the right to freely associate or were compelled to join company-controlled unions, saying such practices were unacceptable. It also accused the group of economic sabotage by manipulating supply and pricing of essential commodities.

NLC further called on the Federal Government to intervene by compelling Aliko Dangote and his associates to comply with Nigerian labour laws. It warned regulators against ignoring the matter, stressing that history would hold them accountable if workers’ rights continue to be violated.

Both NLC and NUPENG maintained that their demands are clear: immediate unionisation across all Dangote companies, an end to anti-union practices, fair wages, and safer working conditions.

With NUPENG’s strike set to take effect, the unions have placed their members nationwide on red alert, warning that if the situation persists, broader industrial action will follow.

The labour movement vowed not to retreat, declaring that Nigerian workers will not be treated as slaves and that resistance will continue until what they described as corporate tyranny is dismantled.