Former Nigerian Senate Leader Ali Ndume has defended the Dangote Refinery against growing criticism from labour unions and oil marketers, warning that a “toxic narrative” could undermine one of the country’s most significant industrial investments.
His intervention follows a strike by the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), which accuses the refinery of violating the Trade Union Act by refusing to allow truck drivers to organise. The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has separately accused the facility of anti-competitive behaviour, alleging that it sells fuel to foreign buyers at lower prices than to local firms.
The Department of State Services has already moved to broker a settlement between junior oil workers and refinery management.
Ndume, who represents Borno South, dismissed allegations of monopoly, arguing that Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Act ensures competition in the downstream sector. “In a deregulated sector, no player enjoys special concessions,” he said.
He recalled that successive governments had issued refinery licences — from 2002 to the Buhari administration’s modular refinery push — with little progress made. Dangote, he argued, was the only investor to “take the bold step” to actually build a facility.
The senator appealed to unions, regulators and stakeholders to pursue dialogue rather than confrontation, warning that prolonged disputes could disrupt fuel supply and inflict hardship on ordinary Nigerians.
