For years, Nigerians dreaded fuel queues.
Recently, they enjoyed a rare spell of stability.
Yet now, another storm gathers—not from global shortages or government errors, but from a fierce clash at home.
On one side, Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, drives his refinery’s bold ambition.
He plans to roll out up to 10,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) trucks for direct product distribution.
On the other side, NUPENG, the powerful oil workers’ union, fights to protect its Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTD) from exclusion.
Union Fights Back
This fight goes beyond trucks and technology; it centres on power and control.
NUPENG argues that Dangote denies drivers their constitutional right to join the union.
Furthermore, the union accuses him of plotting to dominate distribution, crush competition, and push up prices—costs that would inevitably burden ordinary Nigerians.
Meanwhile, efforts to reconcile both sides collapsed.
On June 23, 2025, NUPENG, the National Association of Road Transport Owners, and MRS Energy met at Dangote’s request.
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However, they failed to strike common ground.
Afterwards, NUPENG issued a warning: unless the government reins in Dangote, the union will mobilise its members.
Nigerians Caught In The Middle
In addition, the union raised the stakes.
It declared that from September 8, 2025, tanker drivers would start seeking alternative jobs and livelihoods.
According to NUPENG, if Dangote replaces them with CNG trucks, they refuse to wait for dismissal.
At the same time, NUPENG called on regulators to act.
The union urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Authority to enforce provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act that promote competition and prevent monopolies.
Now, Nigerians stand in suspense.
Both Dangote and NUPENG dig in, while fuel supply hangs in the balance.
If neither side yields, Nigerians may soon watch steady supply slip away again—another bitter reminder of the country’s fragile energy stability.
