Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to intervene amid Dangote’s plans to force newly recruited drivers to sign agreements preventing them from joining existing unions in the oil and gas industry. Recall that the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers had earlier directed its members in the oil and gas sector to embark on an indefinite strike starting Monday, September 8, 2025.
The strike is a protest against Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s alleged plan to force new drivers to sign undertakings prohibiting them from belonging to any union in the industry.
Reacting, Falana said that the policy of the Dangote Group directly contravenes Section 40 of the Constitution, Section 12 of the Trade Union Act, and Article 10 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.
According to him, the policy goes against the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) of the International Labour Organisation, as well as the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all of which Nigeria has ratified.
“In view of the legal obligations imposed on the Federal Government of Nigeria by the Constitution, Trade Union Act, and international law to respect the fundamental rights of workers to freedom of association, the Registrar of Trade Unions should call Dangote Petroleum Refinery to order without delay.
At the same time, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission should halt the monopolistic practices of the Dangote Group forthwith, as they violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018,” he said.
Falana further noted that Dangote Group should not be allowed to undermine trade unions in Nigeria.
He concluded by saying that being allowed to operate outside the ambit of the law doesn’t give Dangote’s company the right to disrespect Nigerian workers.
“Even though powerful trade unions exist in all capitalist countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, the Dangote Group appears determined to undermine trade unions in Nigeria because it has been allowed to operate outside the ambit of the law.
However, the Dangote Group should be reminded that the struggle of Nigerian workers to unionise was fought and won under the British colonial regime.
To that extent, we support the strike of the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers against the policy of the Dangote Group, which seeks to erode the rights of Nigerian workers to unionise,” he added.
