Direct Trucking Company Limited (DTCL), a new Dangote-backed trucking firm, has told the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) that its drivers do not want to join the union.
In a letter dated September 30, 2025, DTCL’s Director, Olosogo Basola, informed the NUPENG president in Lagos that 27 drivers had signed personal letters rejecting membership. The company attached copies of those letters and a list of the drivers.
“We hereby forward for your record and information letters from our truck drivers signifying their refusal to join or their withdrawal of membership from NUPENG. The said letters, specifically written and signed by each of the truck drivers personally, are herewith attached to this letter,” the statement read.
DTCL added that it would now pay all salaries, entitlements, and dues directly into the drivers’ personal bank accounts.
How the Trucking Company Emerged
Findings show that Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Sayyu Aliu Dantata, Chairman of MRS Energy Limited, created DTCL as a new logistics venture. They designed the firm to deliver fuel and related products directly to filling stations and entrepreneurs, cutting reliance on third-party transporters.
Evidence of the drivers’ stance surfaced earlier. On August 1, 2025, a driver, Musa Adamu Sabo, addressed a letter to the company’s Managing Director. In it, he stated:
“I, Mr. Musa Adamu Sabo, freely and without prejudice, do not wish to be a member of NUPENG and humbly request that all my dues as well as entitlements be paid and deposited into my bank account effective 01-08-2025.”
NUPENG’s Pushback
NUPENG strongly opposed the move. The union accused Dangote and Dantata of creating the Direct Truck Drivers Association (DTCDA) to weaken organised labour.
On September 7, NUPENG alleged that the two businessmen set up DTCDA to manage 10,000 CNG trucks being imported into Nigeria. The union said the association initially planned to use the name “Dangote Transport Company.” It also revealed that DTCDA shares the same registered address as MRS Energy Limited: 2, Tin Can Island Port Road, Apapa, Lagos.
In its statement, NUPENG declared:
“Slavery ended centuries ago, but some unscrupulous capitalists are making efforts to bring it back. Any worker who cannot exercise the right of association is no better than a slave. Ordinary Nigerians should neither encourage nor support slavish working conditions.”
Background to the Labour Crisis
This development comes as Dangote Group faces a bigger labour battle. In late September, the company laid off more than 800 refinery workers, most of whom had recently unionized under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The dismissals sparked a nationwide strike by PENGASSAN on September 28. Members cut off crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery, accusing the company of anti-labour practices and replacing Nigerians with foreign nationals.
The Federal Government quickly intervened. Talks began at the Ministry of Labour and later moved to the Office of the National Security Adviser. By October 1, both sides reached a deal. Dangote Group agreed to redeploy the dismissed staff to other subsidiaries without cutting pay or benefits. They also agreed that no worker would face victimisation.
At a press briefing, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo confirmed the suspension of the strike. He cautioned, however, that the union would resume action immediately if Dangote broke the agreement.
Outlook
The letter from DTCL signals a new front in Nigeria’s ongoing labour battles. The company insists that its drivers freely rejected union membership. However, NUPENG views the move as a deliberate attempt to weaken its influence.
With refinery workers reinstated and truck drivers resisting unionisation, the confrontation between Africa’s largest conglomerate and Nigeria’s oil and gas unions looks far from over. The outcome will shape not only workplace relations but also the stability of fuel distribution across the country.