By Ali Elias
Abuja’s National Industrial Court has issued an interim order barring the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Direct Trucking Company Drivers Association from initiating or compelling other drivers to join any industrial action that could disrupt the operations of Dangote Refinery and its partners, MRS Oil Nigeria Plc and MRS Oil and Gas Company Ltd.
The restraining order, granted by Justice E. D. Subilim in an ex parte motion filed on behalf of Dangote Refinery, was justified on grounds that prolonged disruption would result in “irreparable damage” to the refinery’s operations. The judge said the balance of convenience tilts in favour of the refinery, given its critical role in the petroleum supply chain.
The injunction lasts for seven days while a motion on notice is prepared. Justice Subilim directed that the union defendants be served with full notice and all supporting documentation within that timeframe. Because the court’s vacation jurisdiction expires on September 23, the case will be sent to the President of the National Industrial Court for reassignment to another judge for the substantive hearing.
One affidavit in support of the refinery’s motion was sworn by Ahmed Hashem, Group General Manager for Government and Strategic Relations at Dangote. In it, he included a guarantee that the refinery would pay compensation if it is later determined the injunction was wrongly granted.
NUPENG had earlier accused the refinery of preventing its tanker drivers and other staff from joining recognized unions, which led to tension and a brief strike. Complaints also include allegations that Dangote instructed drivers to remove its stickers from their vehicles, and that a Dangote executive flew over the refinery by helicopter while calling on the Navy—allegedly as a show of force.
Dangote’s legal team, led by senior lawyers including George Ibrahim SAN, argued that the refinery must maintain petroleum trucking services to its partners and the public pending outcome of the full case. Without the injunction, they argued operations would be disrupted, supply lines cut, and the refinery exposed to major losses.
In its ruling, the court ordered NUPENG and the Drivers Association “to refrain from initiating or compelling the Drivers Association to participate in any strike designed to cripple or frustrate the refinery’s operations,” and to maintain trucking services until the motion on notice is heard.
Sources close to Dangote’s legal team say the court’s decision has bought them time to negotiate behind the scenes with union leaders, but union representatives contacted have said they are reviewing the court papers before responding. There has not yet been a public statement from NUPENG’s top leadership acknowledging the injunction.
Commenting on the development, an industry analyst noted that the injunction may seem like a legal checkbox, but it underscores a much deeper tension: the fragility of industrial peace in sectors so critical to Nigeria’s economy. When operations like Dangote’s refinery are threatened by labor disputes, the impact ripples across fuel supply, inflation, and public services. This case may set a precedent—either for better dialogue and labour relations or for more injunctive restraints where conversation breaks down.