The dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers took a new turn on Friday, when the refinery demanded the union reveal persons responsible for the claimed $18 billion spent on government-owned refineries with no results.
In a statement, Dangote questioned why the refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna remained inoperable despite massive expenditures on turnaround maintenance and rehabilitation over the years.Despite repeated promises of turnaround maintenance, the Federal Government’s three refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna remain inactive.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote recently stated that successive administrations spent $18 billion on refineries over the years, yet the factories refused to run.
Amid charges that Dangote did not allow its petroleum tanker drivers to form unions, Dangote recalled NUPENG’s role in the 2007 privatization of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries.
The firm challenged the union to assist Nigerians in solving the riddle of the massive expenditure.
Dangote reminded the union that in 2007, when the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were privatized to a consortium that included the business, NUPENG was one of the most vocal opponents, pushing for the sale to be reversed.
Dangote stated that Nigerians must ask questions about what happened to the government refineries.
“We must begin to ask what has happened to all four FGN-owned refineries—Porth Harcourt, Warri, and Kaduna.
“When Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were privatized to a consortium Dangote was a member of in 2007, the same NUPENG were amongst the town criers against the privatization.
“To date, about $18bn has been wasted to rehabilitate the refineries without any success. Who are the people who spent all these humongous amounts without any result? Can NUPENG assist Nigerians to unravel this?” the company queried.
In response to NUPENG’s claims that it was planning to monopolize the petroleum sector with its direct fuel distribution scheme, the Dangote Group stated that its refinery operates in a deregulated market framework overseen by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
“Assertions of monopolistic intent are both legally and factually incorrect,” it stated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour summoned another meeting on Friday to settle the renewed dispute between the two groups.
NUPENG told reporters that the meeting was held at the office of the Department of State Services in Abuja.
Alhaji Sayyu Dantata of MRS Oil represented the Dangote Group during the meeting, while Akporeha led the NUPENG team.
Akporeha told our correspondent after the meeting that both parties were instructed to implement the memorandum of understanding inked on Tuesday.
“The meeting has ended. The status of the communique must be maintained by all parties,” he said.
The meeting on Friday came after Tuesday’s memorandum of understanding between Dangote and NUPENG failed to be implemented.
Recall that NUPENG shut down fuel depots on Monday in protest of the Dangote refinery’s refusal to allow newly hired drivers for its 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to unionize.
The depot shutdown lasted until Tuesday, when it was lifted after all parties reached an agreement at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
However, on Thursday, NUPENG stated that Dangote was unwilling to abide by the provisions of the agreement.
The union claimed that, despite signing a Memorandum of Understanding on September 9, 2025, the Dangote refinery instructed drivers to remove NUPENG stickers from their trucks and replace them with those of the newly formed Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association, which was allegedly created by management.
The union’s vehicles blocked the main entrance to the refinery, blocking gasoline loading.
NUPENG accused the Dangote refinery of fostering divisions among its Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch, opposing workers’ right to unionize, and using “falsehoods” to discredit the union.
In a statement signed by its National Executive President, Williams Akporeha, and the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, on Friday, the union dismissed the Dangote Group’s press release from Thursday as “an epitome of unconscionable capitalist falsehood aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians and crushing NUPENG.”
The union also warned Nigerians against Dangote Refinery’s “Greek gift” of free statewide fuel delivery, claiming that the measure was intended to limit competition and force drivers to join the company-controlled association.
NUPENG also urged Nigerians and the world community to oppose any attempt to deny refinery workers and drivers their right to freedom of association and unionization, stressing that its leaders would not be hurt in the process.
However, in a statement provided to our correspondent by the Dangote Group’s spokesman, Anthony Chiejina, the business denied charges that their increased deployment of CNG-powered trucks was undermining union operations and endangering worker welfare.
The Dangote refinery reiterated its full support for constitutionally protected labor rights, adding that employees are free to join any recognized trade union.
