Juliet Ezeh
Nigeria’s oil and gas sector is facing a deepening labour crisis as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has raised alarm over increasing job losses, worsening insecurity, and alleged suppression of workers’ rights across the industry.
The warning was delivered by the outgoing NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, during his valedictory speech at the union’s 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference held in Lagos over the weekend.
At the heart of his message was the growing impact of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy removal policy, which he described as a major trigger for widespread economic hardship among oil and gas workers, particularly those operating in the informal segment of the sector.
Akporeha said the policy, while intended to stabilise public finances, has had unintended consequences for workers whose livelihoods depend on the downstream petroleum value chain.
“We cannot ignore its reverberating impacts. Many of our members, especially in the informal sector, have lost their livelihoods,” he stated.
His remarks reflect mounting concerns within the labour movement that ongoing economic reforms are being implemented without adequate safeguards for vulnerable workers.
Beyond job losses, the NUPENG leader accused some employers within the sector of engaging in practices aimed at weakening union influence. According to him, there has been a disturbing rise in cases where workers, particularly petroleum product drivers, are compelled to sign agreements restricting their right to join unions.
“Drivers were recruited under restrictive conditions and forced to sign undertakings against union membership. This is a direct violation of the Constitution, the Labour Act, and international labour standards,” Akporeha said.
He warned that the union would resist any attempt to erode workers’ rights, vowing to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that employees retain their right to collective bargaining and union representation.
The issue of exclusion from policy-making also featured prominently in his address. Akporeha lamented that organised labour, including NUPENG, has increasingly been sidelined in key decisions affecting the oil and gas sector.
“Sadly, the union was not adequately carried along in planning,” he said, adding that such exclusion risks heightening tensions between workers, regulators, and industry operators.
Industry analysts say this disconnect could complicate the government’s broader reform agenda, especially as Nigeria seeks to reposition its energy sector amid global shifts toward cleaner fuels.
While acknowledging the importance of transitioning to gas as a bridge fuel, Akporeha stressed that such reforms must be implemented in a way that protects jobs and supports workers through the transition.
“This transition must be just and fair. We appeal to the government to reskill, retrain, and fund our members for a just transition,” he said.
His comments align with growing global calls for a “just transition” framework—an approach that ensures workers are not left behind as economies move away from traditional fossil fuels.
However, the challenges facing NUPENG members extend beyond economic reforms. Akporeha painted a grim picture of rising insecurity affecting workers across the country, particularly those involved in the transportation and distribution of petroleum products.
According to him, incidents of petroleum truck hijackings and kidnappings have surged, forcing workers and business owners to spend more on security.
“Our members now spend more to secure their businesses. Incidents of petroleum truck hijacking and kidnapping have risen sharply,” he noted.
In addition, he highlighted the poor state of road infrastructure as a major operational hurdle. Many key transport routes used for petroleum distribution remain in deplorable condition, increasing costs, delays, and safety risks.
“Many economic roads still remain in impassable conditions. Our members bear horrible challenges in distributing petroleum products across the country,” he added.
Despite the bleak outlook, Akporeha used the occasion to highlight achievements recorded during his tenure as NUPENG president. These include improvements in workers’ welfare packages, expansion of union structures, and infrastructure development within the union.
“I came, I saw, and together we conquered not for personal glory, but for the dignity of every man and woman who powers this nation,” he said.
NUPENG remains one of the most influential trade unions in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, representing thousands of workers in the downstream sector, including tanker drivers, fuel station attendants, and logistics operators.
Alongside the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), the union has historically wielded significant industrial power. Their coordinated strike actions have, in the past, led to nationwide fuel shortages, underlining their strategic importance in the country’s energy supply chain.
As Akporeha prepares to hand over leadership, his final message underscores a growing urgency for the government and industry stakeholders to rethink the human cost of ongoing reforms.
“Justice and power must always rest with the working class. Protecting jobs and upholding workers’ rights must remain central to all reforms in the oil and gas sector,” he declared.
With economic pressures mounting and labour tensions simmering, stakeholders warn that failure to address these concerns could trigger broader industrial unrest in a sector critical to Nigeria’s economy.