The Nigeria Labour Congress has issued a directive to all affiliate unions to commence full-scale mobilization for a nationwide strike against the Dangote Group, marking a significant escalation in labour tensions with Africa’s richest man’s business empire.
The directive was contained in an internal memo signed by NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero on September 29, 2025, accusing the conglomerate of conducting what he termed a deliberate anti-worker crusade and systematic disregard for Nigeria’s labour laws.
Ajaero declared that the time for negotiations with the Dangote Group had ended, stating that the situation now requires decisive collective action from organized labour. His strongly worded memo positioned the ongoing disputes involving PENGASSAN and NUPENG as symptoms of deeper systemic problems within the conglomerate’s approach to industrial relations.
“The ongoing disputes with PENGASSAN and NUPENG are only symptoms of a deeper problem: a systemic anti-labour policy of union-busting, worker exploitation, and disregard for the rule of law that defines the Group’s industrial relations practices,” the memo stated.
The NLC president accused the Dangote Group of operating beyond legal constraints, alleging violations of constitutional provisions and international labour standards. “For too long, the Dangote Group has operated like a state within a state, flouting Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, violating ILO Conventions 87 and 98, and treating our labour laws with contempt. Its facilities have become plantations of exploitation where workers’ dignity is deliberately crushed in pursuit of profit for a few,” Ajaero wrote.
The labour leader declared an end to what he characterized as fruitless dialogue with the conglomerate. “The time for pleading and fruitless dialogue is over. The moment for decisive, collective action is now. All affiliate unions are hereby placed on immediate and full alert, begin vigorous and comprehensive unionisation of all workers within Dangote facilities under your jurisdiction. This is a strategic priority,” he stated.
The directive instructs affiliate unions to commence preparations for mobilizing members and resources for what the NLC termed full-scale, decisive engagement against the Dangote Group’s alleged anti-labour stance.
The Congress outlined specific demands to the Dangote Group, including unconditional respect for workers’ rights to freely join unions of their choice, an end to intimidation, victimization, and union-busting activities, and full compliance with Nigeria’s labour laws and institutions.
To implement the directive, each affiliate union has been instructed to establish an Action Mobilization Committee within 72 hours and coordinate with the NLC National Secretariat on strategy, logistics, and communication. The memo emphasized that unity of purpose and action is non-negotiable among participating unions.
The NLC accused regulatory authorities of failing to hold the conglomerate accountable for alleged labour violations. “The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with the collective resistance of organised labour. No amount of propaganda or paid agents will stop us from defending workers’ rights, especially in the face of regulatory capture, where the state appears to have abdicated its duty to hold this conglomerate accountable,” Ajaero declared.
The memo concluded with inflammatory rhetoric positioning the labour action as a fight against oppression. “The blood and sweat of Nigerian workers built the Dangote empire; we will not allow it to become a monument to their oppression. Together we stand! Together, we will overcome!” the NLC president wrote.
This directive comes amid the ongoing PENGASSAN strike that has already paralyzed operations at key oil and gas regulatory institutions and disrupted supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The expansion of labour action to involve the entire NLC apparatus threatens to significantly broaden the scope of industrial disruption beyond the petroleum sector.
