Dangote accuses NUPENG of plotting to raise fuel pump price, experts wonder if a union has legal authority to collect fuel tax
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Aliko Dangote has accused the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of collecting N50,000 levy on every truck that loads fuel from his eponymous refinery which will raise pump price and impose more hardship on Nigerians.
NUPENG has not denied the allegation and industry experts wonder how the union became a tax collector in a lawless setting that would raise fuel price and scuttle economic growth.
Dangote insisted that the NUPENG levy is unsustainable in response to the union’s accusation that his company is preventing drivers of its newly deployed 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks from joining NUPENG.
“I am saying that there are several charges here, where if a truck is going to load, NUPENG has been collecting about N50,000 or N48,000 on each truck.
“By the time everybody collects their own, you are talking about N80,000 to N84,000. So, who pays for that cost? The consumer actually pays,” Dangote said, per reporting by The PUNCH.
He described such charges as rent-seeking that discourages efficiency in the sector, saying his refinery has learned from its past experiences as a fuel importer, when transporters held the Dangote Group “by the neck,” compelling him to establish an in-house fleet managed by his brother.
“Now that we have launched our own CNG trucks, we will not allow any group to hold us hostage. If there is no evacuation, there is nothing we can do.
“If anybody wants to join the union, even our own workers, we say, ‘Fine, go and join.’ But it must be voluntary. Even religion is voluntary – you cannot force anyone to convert.”
NUPENG President Williams Akporeha did not confirm or deny the N50,000 levy, only saying: “N50k (N50,000) now? No more N1 per litre?”
In an earlier response to claims that the union imposed ₦1 per litre charges, Akporeha had argued that “one can’t stop people from having their opinion. Ask who alleges to provide proof.”
NUPENG recently shut down depots and briefly blockaded Dangote Refinery over disputes about the unionisation of the refinery’s drivers.
Abuja intervened, brokering a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the parties. However, tensions remain high despite an industrial court order barring NUPENG from further blockades.
Industry experts have raised concerns over the legality of alleged NUPENG levies.
“The job of a union is to assist its members and protect their jobs, but it doesn’t have a right to tax or collect fees for fuel loading. Is NUPENG now a tax-collecting agency? That is the question,” asked Dayo Ayoade, a professor an energy law specialist.
He explained that Dangote’s insistence on managing his own fleet is to avoid such pressures.
“If truck drivers are independent of the union, no one body can hold the entire country to ransom. Let competition reign. NUPENG should make itself attractive so drivers join voluntarily.”
The Dangote Group has invested heavily in 4,000 CNG-powered trucks for petroleum products distribution nationwide. The move, Dangote explained, ensures independence from third-party transporters and unions that could hold operations hostage.
The trucks are part of the refinery’s strategy to cut reliance on imported diesel, reduce costs, and demonstrate commitment to Nigeria’s energy transition.
Stakeholders acknowledge workers’ rights to organise but caution that coercion, excessive levies, or blockades could derail confidence in Nigeria’s refining sector at a critical time.
Experts have urged the Federal Government to investigate the allegations, establish clear regulatory frameworks for truck loading charges, and strike a balance between protecting workers and shielding consumers from arbitrary costs.
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