Labour Minister urges new NUPENG president to prioritize industrial harmony

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Keypoints

• Muhammed Dangyadi, Minister of Labour and Employment, has called on the newly elected NUPENG president, Salimon Akanni Oladiti, to maintain the stable industrial relations established by his predecessor.
• Oladiti and 15 other national officers were elected unopposed during the union’s sixth Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Lagos on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
• Outgoing president Williams Akporeha was lauded for major achievements, including the construction of the NUPENG Towers and the introduction of life insurance for tanker drivers.
• PENGASSAN president Festus Osifo noted that collaborative efforts ensured no jobs were lost despite significant divestments by international oil companies (IOCs).
• The new leadership has pledged to establish a truth and reconciliation committee and sustain constructive dialogue with the federal government and employers.

Main Story

A new era has begun for one of Nigeria’s most influential labor unions. Salimon Akanni Oladiti, the former National Chairman of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch, has emerged as the new president of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

At the union’s national delegates conference in Lagos, the Federal Government, represented by the Ministry of Labour, sent a clear message: the stability of the oil and gas sector depends on “dialogue over disruption.”

The transition comes at a high point for the union. Under the outgoing leadership of Williams Akporeha, NUPENG successfully commissioned its national secretariat, the NUPENG Towers, in December 2024 and secured improved remuneration packages for members across the value chain.

Oladiti, in his acceptance speech, signaled a commitment to continuity, promising to expand health and life insurance schemes while ensuring that the rights of workers remain protected as the industry navigates a complex landscape of corporate divestments and energy transition.

The Issues

The primary challenge is the divestment-employment gap; as international oil companies (IOCs) continue to sell off upstream assets, the new leadership must ensure that incoming local operators uphold existing collective bargaining agreements. Authorities must solve the problem of industrial harmony in the midstream sector, particularly regarding the safety and welfare of tanker drivers who remain the backbone of national fuel distribution.

Furthermore, there is a technical-rejuvenation risk; as Akporeha noted, the workforce requires constant “rejuvenation” to stay relevant in a modernizing energy economy. To succeed, Oladiti must balance his roots in the tanker driver branch with the broader needs of the entire oil and gas value chain, ensuring that the union remains a partner in national development rather than a bottleneck.

What’s Being Said

• The Federal Government values NUPENG’s contributions to national development. We urge the incoming executive to take a cue from the previous commitment to constructive dialogue, stated Muhammed Dangyadi.
• Salimon Akanni Oladiti pledged to “build on these gains” and specifically noted that the rights and welfare of members would remain the top priority..

What’s Next

• The newly elected national officers are expected to formally take over operations at the NUPENG Towers to begin their four-year term.
• Oladiti is anticipated to constitute the announced truth and reconciliation committee to unify any internal factions within the union’s various branches.

Bottom Line

The transition from Akporeha to Oladiti represents a vote for continuity in Nigeria’s oil and gas labor relations. By prioritizing “constructive dialogue” and “truth and reconciliation,” the new NUPENG leadership is signaling to both the government and private investors that the union is ready to protect its workers without compromising national economic stability.