Dangote Fires Back: “NUPENG Won’t Hold Nigeria Hostage Over Fuel Prices

Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, has ed the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers of contributing to the hike in fuel prices.

Dangote alleged that NUPENG officials charge as much as ₦50,000 per truck loading fuel at the refinery, a practice he said inflates pump prices and shifts the burden onto consumers. He explained that when other fees are added, the total levies on each truck can rise to between ₦80,000 and ₦84,000, ultimately borne by the public.

The billionaire businessman made these remarks while responding to NUPENG’s allegations that Dangote Group is preventing drivers of its newly deployed 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks from joining the union.

“There are multiple charges here. For each truck loading fuel, NUPENG collects about ₦50,000 or ₦48,000. By the time everyone takes their share, it comes to about ₦80,000 or ₦84,000. Who pays that? The consumer,” Dangote stated, describing the charges as rent-seeking practices that undermine efficiency in the sector.

He recalled past experiences as a fuel importer, when transporters allegedly exploited his company, which forced Dangote Group to set up an internal fleet managed by his brother. “Now that we have rolled out our own CNG trucks, we will not allow any group to hold us hostage. Without evacuation, there is nothing we can do,” he stressed.

Dangote also emphasized that no driver or employee should be coerced into union membership, insisting that both the constitution and labour laws guarantee freedom of choice. “If anyone, including our workers, wishes to join a union, that’s fine. But it must be voluntary. Even religion is voluntary—you cannot force anyone to convert,” he added.