The National Industrial Court in Abuja has issued a temporary injunction restraining the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association from embarking on any form of industrial action aimed at disrupting the operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and its business partners.
Justice E. D. Subilim granted the interim order in response to an ex-parte motion filed by Dangote Petroleum Refinery, MRS Oil Nigeria Limited, and MRS Oil and Gas Company Limited. The motion, marked NICN/ABJ/279/2024, was argued by senior advocate George Ibrahim (SAN) of Ogwu James Onoja SAN & Co.
The court’s decision effectively halts any strike or work stoppage by NUPENG and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association or their members, pending the resolution of the substantive suit filed by the refinery and its co-applicants.
In the application, the plaintiffs sought an order preventing the two labour bodies and their affiliates from initiating or participating in any strike intended to cripple or obstruct their operations. They further requested that the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association be directed to maintain petroleum trucking services to the companies and the Nigerian public throughout the legal proceedings.
Justice Subilim, in her ruling, acknowledged that the matter raised significant legal questions requiring judicial review. She emphasized that the balance of convenience favored the applicants, who stood to suffer irreparable harm if the restraining order was not granted. The judge also noted that the applicants had provided an undertaking to cover potential damages to the defendants, should the ruling later be overturned.
The order is to remain in effect for seven days, during which time the case file will be reassigned by the President of the Industrial Court to another judge, as the judicial vacation period has ended.
Meanwhile, Dangote Refinery has reaffirmed its position in an ongoing public dispute with the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), in a statement published across major national newspapers and online platforms on Monday, September 15.
In the statement, the refinery accused DAPPMAN of mounting sustained pressure and misinformation campaigns over the company’s refusal to subsidize coastal distribution logistics for petroleum marketers. The company claims that DAPPMAN is demanding an annual subsidy of over ₦1.5 trillion to offset additional logistics costs, including ₦70 per litre in freight, regulatory charges, and vessel pumping fees.
“We wish to make it clear that we have no intention of increasing our gantry price or paying any form of subsidy,” the company stated. “Such practices in the past led to massive fraud against the Federal Government.”
Dangote Refinery insists that marketers are free to lift products directly from its facility without incurring extra logistics charges. It claims to maintain a monthly stock of 500 million litres of refined products and reported exporting over 3.2 million metric tonnes of fuel products between June and September. During the same period, it said marketers imported nearly 3.7 million metric tonnes, which the company described as “dumping” detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.
The refinery reiterated its support for the reform agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including efforts to stabilise the naira, eliminate fuel subsidies, and position Nigeria as a regional refining hub.
“Dangote Petroleum Refinery remains committed to national development and welcomes partnerships with responsible stakeholders,” the statement concluded.
The legal dispute and the underlying tensions reflect broader frictions in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector, as stakeholders jostle for pricing control, logistics dominance, and alignment with the country’s evolving fuel subsidy and supply policies.
