Africa’s richest man and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has accused the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) of imposing illegal truck levies that are inflating fuel prices across Nigeria. Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Dangote claimed the union collects as much as ₦50,000 per truck loading fuel at his refinery, warning that the hidden costs eventually fall on ordinary consumers already struggling with high pump prices.
According to Dangote, the combined charges from multiple parties can reach between ₦80,000 and ₦84,000 per truck, an expense that adds directly to the final price of petroleum products. He described the levies as “acts of rent-seeking” that erode efficiency in the downstream oil sector and undermine his company’s efforts to stabilise prices. Industry watchers echoed his concern, questioning how an oil workers’ union had assumed the role of a “tax collector” without legal backing.
Dangote also used the opportunity to address NUPENG’s accusation that his company is blocking drivers of its newly deployed 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks from joining the union. He said membership is voluntary under Nigerian labour laws and insisted no driver or worker should be coerced. “Even religion is voluntary — you cannot force anyone to convert,” he remarked, stressing that Dangote Group’s in-house fleet was created to avoid past experiences of being “held hostage” by transporters.
Contacted for a response, NUPENG President Williams Akporeha neither confirmed nor denied the ₦50,000 charge, responding cryptically, “₦50k now? No more ₦1 per litre?” The dispute follows recent union blockades of the Dangote refinery over driver unionisation — actions temporarily halted after Federal Government mediation and an Abuja industrial court order barring further disruptions. Despite this, tensions between the union and the refinery remain high.
Energy law specialist Professor Dayo Ayoade raised concerns about the legality of the alleged levies, arguing that a union’s mandate is to protect workers, not impose taxes. Analysts say Dangote’s move to run his own fleet may help insulate his refinery from union pressures and keep distribution competitive. With Nigeria’s pump prices already elevated due to foreign exchange volatility and logistics costs, any additional hidden charges could worsen affordability for households and businesses nationwide.
source: punch