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 charges of up to ₦50,000 on every truck loading fuel at his refinery.
He warned that such levies ultimately inflate pump prices and increase the burden on Nigerian consumers.
Speaking to reporters in response to NUPENG’s claims that Dangote Refinery was barring its new fleet of 4,000 Compressed Natural Gas-powered trucks from unionising, Dangote said the charges were unsustainable.
“By the time everybody collects their own, you are talking about ₦80,000 to ₦84,000 per truck. So, who pays for that cost? The consumer actually pays,” he said.
NUPENG’s president, Williams Akporeha, neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, responding cryptically: “₦50,000 now? No more ₦1 per litre?”
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In earlier denials of similar viral claims, Akporeha insisted that critics must provide proof of such levies.
The dispute comes weeks after NUPENG shut down depots and briefly blockaded the Dangote refinery over disagreements about drivers’ union membership.
Though the Federal Government brokered a temporary truce through a memorandum of understanding, tensions remain despite an Abuja industrial court order barring NUPENG from further blockades.
Energy law expert Professor Dayo Ayoade questioned the legality of the alleged charges, arguing that unions are meant to protect workers, not impose taxes.
“Is NUPENG now a tax-collecting agency? That is the question,” he said, suggesting that Dangote’s decision to manage his own truck fleet was aimed at avoiding such pressures.
Analysts warn that if confirmed, these hidden costs act as an informal tax on energy consumers, worsening affordability amid already high pump prices driven by forex shortages and logistics costs.
Dangote maintains that his company’s CNG-powered trucks are designed to reduce dependence on diesel, cut distribution costs, and ensure independence from third-party transporters.
Experts have urged the Federal Government to investigate the allegations and create clear regulations on loading charges to balance workers’ rights with consumer protection.
Source: https://punchng.com/union-imposed-truck-charges-cause-fuel-price-hikes-dangote/
Image Credit: The Business Intelligence
