September 17, 2025
Former Senate Leader and senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has called on stakeholders in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector to work together in harmony rather than engage in conflicts that could derail the sector and harm the economy.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume appealed for peace following the ongoing face-off between the Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, as well as the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, embarked on industrial action that
Recently, NUPENG shut down oil depots across the country in protest against what they termed Dangote Refinery refusal to allow its truck drivers to join the union, an action they said contravened the Trade Union Act. DAPPMAN on the other hand, alleged that Dangote refinery was stifling competition by offering products to international traders at lower prices compared to what it gave to local marketers.
The Department of State Services, DSS, had intervene to broker peace, describing the dispute as a potential threat to national security.
READ MORE; Depots Remain Shut As NUPENG Strike Enters Day 2, Operators To Hike Petroleum Products.
Senator Ndume, expressed concern over what he described as “a poisonous media narrative” aimed at portraying Dangote negatively in Nigeria and abroad.
He said: “Before Dangote took the risk to build his refinery, previous administrations had granted licenses to many Nigerians. What did they do with them? Some only exploited crude oil allocations for personal gain.
“If my memory serves me right, licenses were granted to 12 private operators as far back as 2002 to build refineries and reduce dependence on imported fuel. A second round of licenses was issued in 2007 by the then Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, after revoking the first batch, but how many of them actually made progress?
“During the Muhammadu Buhari administration, licenses were again granted for modular refineries, yet few scratched the surface. Now, those same people are ganging up to falsely accuse Dangote of monopolizing the market.”
The lawmaker argued that it was wrong to accuse Dangote of monopoly in a deregulated industry, stressing that no special concessions were granted to Dangote at the expense of others.
READ MORE; FG Preaches Caution In Dangote, NUPENG Face-Off:
He called on the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, regulatory agencies, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, to step in and prevent an all-out crisis.
Ndume stated that: “I urge NUPENG, PENGASSAN, and all concerned stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with Dangote rather than inciting division and undue sensationalism in the media.
“Our common goal should be to balance labour rights with national development not place ordinary Nigerians at the mercy of a needless power tussle.”
Senator Ndume cautioned that conflict in the downstream sector can further exacerbate the suffering of the citizens.
