Talks between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the leadership of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) extended late into Monday night, despite the Federal Government’s intervention through the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity.

The discussions followed nationwide disruption of fuel loading activities at petroleum depots, as NUPENG protested the refinery’s alleged ban on workers’ unionism.

The reconciliation meeting, convened at the Ministry of Labour’s conference room, brought together top executives of NUPENG, officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), along with representatives of the Dangote Group, MRS Petroleum, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The session was co-chaired by Minister of Labour, Muhammed Dingyadi, and Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiru Onyejeocha. Although scheduled to begin by 10:00 a.m., the meeting was delayed until after 5:00 p.m. due to the late arrival of union officials.

Sources disclosed that a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was read out for parties to adopt and sign. However, disagreements raised by Dangote representatives over certain resolutions stalled progress, forcing continued negotiations.