Dangote refinery tanker drivers strike will not cause fuel shortage, refinery says, as dispute over union rights intensifies in Nigeria

Dangote refinery tanker drivers strike will not disrupt petrol supply across Nigeria, the company has assured, following protests led by fuel tanker drivers over alleged anti-union practices.

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Speaking to AFP on Tuesday, Anthony Chiejina, spokesperson for the Dangote refinery, stated that fuel distribution is ongoing and that talks are in progress between the refinery, government officials, and the striking union.

“There is no fuel shortage, everything is going on,” Chiejina said, pushing back against panic over supply disruptions.

The strike began on Monday and was launched by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The union claims that the refinery, which is hiring its own fleet of tanker drivers, is forcing them to avoid union membership.

Union president Williams Akporeha accused the refinery of engaging in what he called “union suppression” tactics.

“What Dangote has shown over time is that he’s not prepared to have workers that will have a say in his employment,” Akporeha told Arise News.

The allegations have been strongly denied by the Dangote Group.

“It’s not true… nobody has done that and nobody ever has,” said Chiejina. “That’s cheap blackmail.”

The protest has gained local and international backing, including from:

• Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)
• IndustriALL Global Union (Switzerland)
• International Lawyers Assisting Workers Network (USA)

This growing support signals the strike could escalate if a resolution is not found quickly.

Commissioned in 2023, the 650,000 bpd Dangote refinery is the largest in Africa and has quickly become a dominant force in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.

Previously reliant on imported petrol, Nigeria has begun to shift toward domestic refining, thanks largely to Dangote’s entry into the space.

The refinery’s operations have lowered fuel prices and challenged a system long plagued by inefficiency and corruption. However, critics warn of monopoly risks, citing the centralized control of fuel production and distribution by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote.

Last month, the refinery announced plans to deploy thousands of compressed natural gas-powered trucks to distribute petrol nationwide. The initiative, aimed at reducing emissions and costs, has been delayed by logistics hurdles.

This delay, coupled with the strike, has rattled an industry historically dominated by over 20,000 diesel-powered tankers, whose operators are now facing possible displacement.

While Dangote officials maintain that fuel supply remains uninterrupted, the dispute over labour rights and employment practices could pose challenges for the company’s ambitious logistics and distribution plans.

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For now, negotiations continue, with public interest growing over how the refinery—hailed as a solution to Nigeria’s fuel import problem—will balance business expansion with worker rights.