Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to intervene over alleged plans by Dangote Petroleum Refinery to compel new drivers to sign undertakings barring them from joining unions in the oil and gas industry.
The National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) had earlier directed its members to begin an indefinite strike on Monday, September 9, 2025, in protest against the policy.
In a statement on Sunday, Falana argued that the move violates Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, provisions of the Trade Union Act, and several international treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and International Labour Organisation conventions ratified by Nigeria.
He called on the Registrar of Trade Unions to urgently call Dangote to order, while also tasking the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to curb what he described as the company’s monopolistic practices.
Falana stressed that trade unions are recognized in all advanced capitalist nations, warning that attempts to weaken unionism in Nigeria are unlawful. He declared support for NUPENG’s strike, recalling that the right of Nigerian workers to unionise was secured even under colonial rule.
