As part of efforts to prevent the looming breakdown of the truce earlier signed by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, the Department of State Services (DSS) has waded in again to resolve the labour dispute.

This emerged as the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) urged the federal government to ensure the protection of the Dangote Refinery by forestalling anything that would lead to the disruption of the petrol supply chain.

The NANS also noted that while it recognises the role of unions in the defense and protection of human rights, joining a union ought to be voluntary.

It was gathered that at at a meeting called by the leadership of the DSS in Abuja, both the company and the union resolved to adhere to the September 9 agreement, when the issues were first discussed and resolved.

As part of the agreements, the oil company was also directed to immediately restore NUPENG stickers on its trucks, which had been allegedly removed.

Present at the high-level meeting, it was gathered, were the Minister of State for Labour, Deputy Director General, DSS, officials from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), officials from Dangote Refinery as well as representatives of NUPENG, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

According to reliable sources, “The resolution upheld the September 9, 2025, agreement directing all parties to maintain status quo and warning against further violations.”

The parties also reaffirmed the truck drivers’ right to remain unionised under NUPENG. But while welcoming the resolution, NUPENG warned that any renewed breach of the deal may trigger a full-scale industrial action.

Recall that on September 9, the management of Dangote and the NUPENG had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja, granting workers the freedom to join any union of their choice without interference.

However, barely 24 hours after the meeting, the NUPENG accused Dangote Refinery’s management of violating the pact, an allegation the company denied. Earlier yesterday, the union again accused the Dangote Group of being “economical with the truth.”

In a statement jointly signed by NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union had said Dangote misrepresented facts about its relationship with workers and their freedom to join the NUPENG.

“The press statement by Dangote Petroleum Refinery dated September 11, 2025 further confirms the company’s aim to crush our union, NUPENG, as well as stifle competition, with the ultimate goal of increasing fuel prices in the long run,” it stated.

Apart from tanker drivers, the NUPENG stated that the refinery’s operational and administrative staff had also been obstructed from exercising their right to unionise.

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“It is on record that Dangote Group does not permit unionisation in its cement and sugar plants across Nigeria,” it said.

Meanwhile, the NANS in a statement on Friday by its Senate President, Usman Adamu Nagwaza, stressed that in as much as it recognises the importance and vital role that unions and associations play in the defense and protection of human rights, “we are obliged at this point to set the record straight: joining one is a matter of free will.”

It added: “No individual or group should be compelled or coerced into membership. Everyone has the freedom of association, and the choice not to associate should never warrant threats of a national showdown from any individual, body, or union.

“Furthermore, it is pertinent to state emphatically and unequivocally that we have no problem with the activities of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). However, we cannot afford a situation that could degenerate into a national crisis. If the feud between the Dangote Refinery and the leadership of NUPENG persists, we foresee a likelihood of returning to the days of fuel scarcity.

“The negative impact of fuel scarcity on the economy and its injurious consequences are not far-fetched. Hence, we cannot afford a situation where tanker drivers embark on a strike. We have not witnessed fuel scarcity in a long time, and that is a feat we must commend the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for.

“The ailing economy is now being resuscitated, and the best any individual or group can do at this time is to give the necessary support to the government and the private sector, of which the Dangote Refinery is a germane contributor, rather than dragging the nation’s economy backward.”

It added: “Equally concerning are credible security reports indicating that the notorious oil cartel, responsible for holding the country to ransom for decades through fuel subsidy scams, cross-border smuggling, and deliberate promotion of import dependence and persistent fuel scarcity may be positioning themselves to exploit the current impasse. Intelligence suggests they may be plotting to attack the newly acquired Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered fuel distribution trucks of the Dangote Refinery, with the most extreme intentions being to set them ablaze.

“We urge NUPENG to embrace dialogue and refrain from inadvertently becoming instruments in the hands of economic saboteurs. Furthermore, we call the attention of the indefatigable National Security Adviser, the top security brass, and their respective formations to the urgent need to safeguard these critical national assets. Any attack on them is, without question, an attack on the future of our nation.”

The NANS stated that it would not stand idly while “a few individuals attempt to destroy the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, a facility that has already become a beacon of employment and a hub of knowledge transfer for countless Nigerian graduates.”

To this end, it called on the federal government to do everything possible to protect the Dangote Refinery and forestall any situation that may pose the risk of fuel scarcity.

“The Dangote Refinery has contributed immensely to fuel production and distribution within the country, which in turn has eased the burden on Nigerians and undoubtedly spurred economic growth,” it stated.