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Dangotw says NUPENG allegedly collects up to ₦50,000 per fuel truck at refinery
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Charges described as rent-seeking, passed to consumers
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Dangote Group deploys 4,000 CNG trucks to bypass union pressures
Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of imposing levies of up to ₦50,000 per truck loading fuel at the company’s refinery, warning that such charges ultimately raise pump prices for consumers.
Dangote said the union’s collection practices are unsustainable and act as informal taxes, adding that they discourage efficiency in Nigeria’s downstream sector.
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“There are several charges here, where if a truck is going to load, NUPENG has been collecting about N50,000 or N48,000 on each truck. By the time everybody collects their own, you are talking about N80,000 to N84,000. So, who pays for that cost? The consumer actually pays,” he stated.
Dangote described the actions as a form of rent-seeking, recalling past experiences when transporters held the company hostage, compelling him to establish an in-house fleet under his brother’s management.
He stressed that no worker or driver should be forced to join a union, citing constitutional provisions that make membership voluntary.
NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, neither confirmed nor denied the allegation, instead responding cryptically to Dangote’s claims.
“N50k now? No more N1 per litre?” Akporeha said.
The dispute follows recent union blockades and depot shutdowns targeting Dangote’s refinery over unionisation issues.
Although the Federal Government intervened to broker a memorandum of understanding, tensions remain high despite an industrial court order prohibiting further blockades.
Industry experts questioned the legality of NUPENG’s alleged levies. Professor Dayo Ayoade, an energy law specialist, asked whether the union had overstepped its mandate.
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“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.”
Dangote’s deployment of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks is part of a broader strategy to reduce reliance on third-party transporters, cut operating costs, and improve energy distribution efficiency. Experts warn that coercion, excessive levies, or blockades could undermine confidence in Nigeria’s refining sector at a critical time, especially as pump prices are already high due to foreign exchange pressures and logistics costs.
The Federal Government has been urged to investigate the allegations, regulate truck loading charges, and balance worker protection with consumer interests.
