KEY POINTS
- Nigerians on social media overwhelmingly back Dangote Refinery’s CNG truck initiative against NUPENG’s strike threat.
- Critics accuse the union of protecting vested interests at the expense of progress and citizens.
- The standoff is viewed as part of a broader struggle over control of Nigeria’s energy future.
Since the country’s powerful oil workers’ union, threatened a nationwide strike over the refinery’s proposal to use 4,000 trucks powered by compressed natural gas for fuel distribution, Nigerians are supporting the Dangote Petroleum Refinery more and more.
In the nation’s energy sector, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has long been a strong voice, but its most recent action has set off a digital firestorm.
Thousands of Nigerians have commented on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, with many claiming that while the unions hold onto the past, Aliko Dangote’s flagship refinery is driving the nation toward efficiency and innovation.
Union power faces growing public scrutiny
For many Nigerians, this is now a battle for the nation’s economic future rather than just a disagreement between a private company and a labor union. Citing years of fuel shortages and strike disruptions, social media users accused NUPENG of abusing its power at the expense of regular people.
Industry opinions were also heard. Professor Olushola Bamidele questioned why innovation should be penalized rather than welcomed, drawing a comparison between NUPENG’s resistance and middlemen attempting to prevent farmers from selling directly to city markets. In a similar vein, Dr. Tosan Harriman contended that the union was “spoiling for war” and putting its own limited role ahead of the general welfare.
On X, one user declared: “Nigerians stand with Dangote. NUPENG has made the lives of Nigerians unbearable for years.” Others framed the refinery as a rare national asset capable of breaking decades of reliance on foreign imports and union monopolies.
