Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has sharply criticized the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) for allegedly imposing levies of up to N50,000 on every truck loading fuel at his Refinery in Lekki, Lagos, claiming these charges are a key driver behind escalating petrol prices that ultimately hit Nigerian consumers hardest.
In a statement to reporters on September 21, 2025, Dangote highlighted how such fees—combined with other industry charges—could inflate costs by N80,000 to N84,000 per truckload.
"By the time everybody collects their own, you are talking about ₦80,000 to ₦84,000. So, who pays for that cost? The consumer actually pays," he declared, emphasizing that these practices undermine efforts to stabilize fuel pricing amid foreign exchange challenges and logistics hurdles.
The accusations come amid a simmering feud between Dangote Refinery and NUPENG, which recently escalated with depot shutdowns and a brief blockade of the refinery over disputes on truck drivers' unionization.
NUPENG had accused the refinery of barring its 4,000 newly deployed Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered trucks' drivers from joining the union, prompting federal government intervention and a memorandum of understanding to ensure voluntary membership.
Dangote countered that the union's tactics, including alleged intimidation and sealing of non-union trucks, amount to "economic blackmail" and could cost NUPENG billions in lost revenue if the refinery's distribution ramps up to 65 million liters daily.
NUPENG's response has been muted; the union neither confirmed nor denied the N50,000 levy claims, with spokesperson Celestine Akporeha quipping, "N50k now? No more N1 per litre?", “One can’t stop people from having their opinion. Ask who alleges to provide proof.” in reference to earlier viral allegations of per-litre charges.
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