Falana Calls on FG to Check Dangote’s Anti-Union Practices

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to intervene over plans by Dangote Refineries to compel newly recruited drivers to sign agreements barring them from joining unions in the oil and gas sector.

The National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) had earlier announced an indefinite strike starting Monday, September 9, 2025, in protest against the refinery’s policy.

Falana, in a statement, said the proposed agreements violate 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.

He further noted that the policy breaches the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) of the International Labour Organisation, as well as several UN covenants Nigeria has ratified.

Falana called on the Registrar of Trade Unions to hold Dangote Petroleum Refinery accountable and urged the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to curb the group’s monopolistic practices.

He added:

“The Dangote Group appears determined to undermine trade unions in Nigeria because it has been allowed to operate outside the ambit of the law. Nigerian workers fought hard to secure the right to unionise, and we support NUPENG’s strike against any attempt to erode these rights.”