Dangote Petroleum Refinery has insisted that membership of trade unions by its workers remains voluntary and not compulsory, in line with the Nigerian Constitution and International Labour Organisation conventions.
Naija News reports that the company made this known in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to what it described as “distortions of facts” by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over its trade relations with employees.
The refinery stressed that it does not interfere with or restrict employees’ right to freely join legally recognised unions.
“It is therefore misplaced to attribute responsibility to Dangote Petroleum Refinery for the personal choices made by drivers regarding union affiliation,” the company said.
It dismissed allegations that it compelled drivers to sign contracts barring union membership, describing such claims as “unfounded.”
The firm urged NUPENG to resolve its internal disputes with the Petrol Tanker Drivers unit instead of “embroiling the refinery in its conflicts.”
Dangote maintained that it had a “cordial and cooperative relationship with all recognised trade unions, including NUPENG,” adding that it had always supported their activities within its facility.
“We have consistently supported their legitimate activities, including providing office space and enabling member engagement and dues collection without interference,” the statement noted.
The refinery reaffirmed support for ongoing mediation efforts by the Ministry of Labour and appealed to NUPENG to “act in good faith, respect the dialogue process, and refrain from making statements that could undermine national economic recovery efforts led by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.”
According to the company, drivers under its new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks scheme receive welfare packages three times above the national minimum wage, alongside group insurance, pensions, medical allowances, housing benefits, and access to loans.
It said the rollout of 10,000 CNG-powered trucks would create at least 60,000 direct jobs and many more indirect opportunities, describing the ₦720bn investment as part of efforts to cut logistics costs, deepen refining benefits, and support the Federal Government’s energy transition plan.
The refinery stated that since its commissioning a year ago, Nigeria had transitioned from being Africa’s largest fuel importer to a net exporter, reaching markets in the United States.
It added that its production of polypropylene, base oils and jet fuel was driving growth in plastics, lubricants, aviation and agro-processing sectors.
According to the company, its operations had eliminated recurring fuel scarcity, stabilised pump prices, created over 570,000 jobs, and delivered infrastructure such as roads, power and water supply to host communities.
Dangote also said it had become a hub for skills transfer, training thousands of Nigerian engineers and technicians in modern refining technologies.
On fears of monopoly, the refinery dismissed such concerns as baseless.
“As for claims of monopoly, we reject these as recycled falsehoods. The greater concern lies in the inaction of those with the means to invest in Nigeria, who instead choose to remain on the sidelines. At Dangote, we have chosen to invest boldly in Nigeria’s future and we will continue to do so. It is time others follow suit,” the statement read.
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