Fuel Crisis Looms as DSS Summons Dangote Refinery and NUPENG to Emergency Abuja Showdown

By Ademola Adekusibe

Abuja | September 12, 2025

Nigeria is on the edge of a fuel crisis as the Department of State Services (DSS) has waded into the escalating face-off between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

The DSS summoned both parties to an emergency meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. today in Abuja after tensions boiled over at the refinery gates in Lagos.

Crisis erupted earlier this week when NUPENG dispatched fuel trucks to blockade the entrances of Dangote Refinery in protest over unresolved labour grievances. The blockade, which disrupted operations and threatened to paralyze fuel distribution, drew national attention as the standoff dragged on.

In retaliation, Dangote Refinery reportedly deployed heavy-duty towing vehicles to forcibly remove the trucks parked by protesting workers, further inflaming tensions and raising fears of a violent clash.

The brewing conflict has alarmed both government and industry stakeholders, with concerns mounting that the situation could snowball into a nationwide fuel scarcity.

Today’s emergency meeting called by the DSS will also feature representatives from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other critical stakeholders. Security analysts say the meeting may be the last chance to defuse the crisis before Nigerians begin to feel the bite at filling stations.

“The DSS cannot afford to let this degenerate,” one Abuja insider said. “The refinery is too strategic, and the unions too powerful. If a compromise is not reached today, the economy will feel the shock immediately.”

As Nigerians await the outcome, the looming question remains: will this be resolved at the negotiation table, or will the refinery blockade mark the start of a new fuel war?