Aliko Dangote accuses NUPENG of charging excessive levies on trucks loading fuel at his refinery.
He warns the fees raise pump prices for Nigerians and calls for government investigation and regulation.
President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of imposing excessive levies on trucks loading fuel at his refinery, warning that such charges ultimately raise pump prices for ordinary Nigerians.
Speaking on the issue, Dangote said truck operators were being charged between ₦48,000 and ₦50,000 per truck by NUPENG. Combined with other costs, this pushed the total per truck to about ₦80,000–₦84,000, he noted.
“So, who pays for that cost? The consumer actually pays,” Dangote stressed, describing the practice as unsustainable rent-seeking that undermines efficiency in the downstream oil sector.
NUPENG has not issued a direct denial. Its president, Williams Akporeha, responded cryptically to the claims: “₦50k now? No more ₦1 per litre?”
The accusations come on the heels of union blockades and depot shutdowns at Dangote’s refinery over unionization disputes.
Although the Federal Government stepped in to broker a memorandum of understanding, tensions remain, with an industrial court order prohibiting further blockades still in place.
Dangote recalled past situations where transporters held operations hostage, forcing him to set up an in-house fleet managed by his brother. He also emphasized that no worker should be coerced into union membership, citing constitutional provisions making membership voluntary.
Energy law specialist Professor Dayo Ayoade questioned whether NUPENG had overstepped its legal mandate. “The job of a union is to assist its members and protect their jobs, but it doesn’t have a right to tax or collect fees for fuel loading. Is NUPENG now a tax-collecting agency? That is the question,” he said.
In response to persistent transport bottlenecks, Dangote has deployed 4,000 CNG-powered trucks as part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on third-party transporters, lower logistics costs, and strengthen Nigeria’s energy distribution network.
Analysts warn that union levies, coercion, or blockades could damage investor confidence in Nigeria’s refining sector at a crucial time, particularly as pump prices remain high due to foreign exchange pressures and logistics challenges.
There is now an urging to the Federal Government to investigate the allegations, regulate truck loading charges, and ensure a balance between worker protection and consumer interests.
