Fuel scarcity crisis averted as fuel depots in Africa’s largest market reopen

The Dangote Refinery, which at the height of the scare promised Nigerians that they had nothing to worry about, has made good on its word as its meeting with union workers put an end to their grievances.

Following the deal made on Tuesday by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Workers, fuel loading began on Wednesday.

The reopening of depots and other petroleum facilities that had been closed due to the two-day strike was verified to The Punch on Wednesday by NUPENG President Williams Akporeha.

On Monday, union workers in Nigeria’s energy industry began a countrywide strike, spearheaded by NUPENG.

The union claimed that Dangote’s distribution strategy included an anti-union stance, which gave rise to the short-lived protest.

Union members alleged that Dangote’s new drivers for his CNG distribution trucks were being employed on the premise that they would not join the union, which Dangote at the time disputed.

However, on Tuesday, NUPENG called off its strike following a second meeting after the first failed on Monday.

Williams Akporeha, the National President of NUPENG, told The Punch that the union will resume normal operations as Dangote agreed to unionize its drivers.

“The management agreed with this fact and responded that they are not averse to the unionisation of their employees by labour unions in tandem with the provisions of the extant labour laws,” a statement issued by the group read.

“That the process of unionisation shall commence immediately and be completed within two weeks (9th-22nd September, 2025), and it was agreed that the employer will not set up any other union. Arising from the strike notice, no worker or employee of Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical will be victimised,” it added.

In June 2025, the Dangote Refinery announced plans to establish an in-house distribution network by deploying 4,000 CNG-powered vehicles.

The plan intends to reduce yearly gasoline distribution expenses by ₦1.7 trillion and improve petroleum supply chain efficiency.

It is also an environmentally beneficial alternative to what is already in use.

The CNG trucks are expected to reduce carbon emissions and distribution costs by around 40% when compared to conventional diesel-powered automobiles, bringing the company into line with global energy transition trends.