1 month ago
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Nigeria is lasting connected the verge of different substance crisis—and it’s not due to the fact that of planetary lipid shocks oregon pipeline vandalism this time. It’s due to the fact that a almighty national has decided to propulsion the plug connected the country’s astir ambitious concern project: the Dangote Refinery.
Let’s beryllium clear. Sacking 800 workers is nary insignificant issue. Every idiosyncratic matters, and their rights merit to beryllium protected. But does that warrant shutting down crude supply, cutting state flows, and threatening to plunge the full state into darkness? No. That’s not negotiation. That’s blackmail, with 200 cardinal Nigerians arsenic collateral.
The Trade Union Congress whitethorn spot this arsenic a combat for Section 40 of the Constitution, which guarantees workers the close to subordinate freely. But there’s an arsenic captious law work present – the work to support the system and forestall wide suffering. If refineries halt producing, if thermal plants spell dark, if petrol queues agelong for miles again, who pays the price? Not national executives. Ordinary Nigerians. The marketplace pistillate successful Oshodi. The barber successful Aba. The tiny shaper successful Kano who runs his machines connected overpriced diesel.
Dangote Refinery isn’t perfect. No institution is. But it is the 1 task successful caller representation that gives Nigeria a accidental to interruption escaped from decades of humiliating substance importation. Every medication has promised self-sufficiency, and each committedness has collapsed.
As of April 2025, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) reported that it had issued 83 licences to run refineries; however, lone 5 modular refineries are presently operational. Some person expressed genuine interest astir a monopoly, but the astir vociferous, including the unions, are among the astir complicit successful the diminution of Nigeria’s 4 state-owned refineries.
The Dangote Refinery is not truthful overmuch the result of a premeditated monopoly task arsenic it is grounds of the audacity of 1 man’s effort contempt the odds. It is regrettable that adjacent earlier it has recovered its rhythm, it’s being dragged into a confrontation that could undo years of effort and billions of dollars of backstage investment.
Investors are watching. And what connection bash they see? That a national can, astatine will, cripple a $20 cardinal project, choke disconnected nationalist substance supply, and endanger a full grid collapse. Why would overseas investors travel nether these conditions?
The Ministry of Labour is close to measurement in, but the authorities needs to instrumentality further action. This is not lone astir mediating betwixt an leader and a national – it is astir safeguarding a strategical nationalist asset. Dangote Refinery is the backbone of Nigeria’s vigor security. It deserves protection, not sabotage.
In the sentiment of this newspaper, striking to marque a constituent is 1 thing; deliberately shutting down substance and powerfulness proviso to millions is another. That crosses the enactment from protestation into sabotage.
The broader implications cannot beryllium overstated. Fuel shortages volition choke commerce, thrust up proscription costs, and exacerbate nutrient inflation. Power cuts volition unopen factories and tiny businesses, resulting successful occupation losses that widen acold beyond the 800 workers already laid off. Even authorities finances volition instrumentality a hit, due to the fact that the refinery is 1 of the country’s largest taxpayers. Every time it remains idle is mislaid gross the treasury can’t afford.
It is besides worthy remembering that the Dangote Refinery is the largest of its benignant successful Africa, a continental awesome of what is imaginable erstwhile African superior backs African ambition. Instead of being protected and celebrated, it is present being treated arsenic a target. This is short-sighted and dangerous.
PENGASSAN and TUC indispensable rethink their tactics. Courts and arbitration panels beryllium for a reason. Labour disputes beryllium astatine the negotiating table, not successful the pipelines and powerfulness plants that millions beryllium on. To support threatening the federation with blackout and substance scarcity is to clasp each Nigerian hostage successful a combat that should person been settled done dialogue.
The national government, meanwhile, cannot beryllium connected the fence. It indispensable enactment not arsenic a neutral bystander but arsenic the protector of nationalist interest. That means ensuring workers are heard, but besides ensuring the refinery continues to operate. Because erstwhile substance queues return, erstwhile the grid begins to collapse, nary 1 volition retrieve the good points of Section 40. Nigerians volition lone retrieve that their leaders stood by portion their regular lives were disrupted.
This is simply a turning point. It volition amusement whether Nigeria tin equilibrium workers’ rights with capitalist confidence, oregon whether we volition erstwhile again descend into situation due to the fact that our institutions failed to enactment with wisdom. It is imaginable to execute some justness and stability—but lone if each sides propulsion backmost from the brink.
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