The Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dangyadi, has urged the newly elected President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Akanni Oladiti, to build on the achievements of his predecessor, Williams Akporeha, and sustain industrial peace in the oil and gas sector.
Dangyadi gave the charge at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of NUPENG held in Lagos, according to a statement issued in Abuja.
Oladiti and 15 other national officers were elected unopposed for a four-year term to lead the union’s junior workforce in the petroleum industry.
Represented by the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations (TUSIR), Falonipe Amos, the minister commended the existing cooperative relationship between NUPENG and key industry stakeholders.
He urged the new leadership to maintain that balance while advancing workers’ interests.
Dangyadi stressed that dialogue should remain the preferred approach in industrial relations.
He warned against abandoning negotiation for confrontation, stating that the federal government values NUPENG’s role in national development.
“The federal government values NUPENG’s contributions to national development.
”Comrade Akporeha’s commitment to constructive dialogue while agitating for workers welfare is exemplary.
”He contributed meaningfully to industrial harmony. We urge the executive that will succeed him to take a cue from this,” he said.
In his acceptance speech, Oladiti praised his predecessor’s leadership, highlighting improvements such as better remuneration, the construction of a new national secretariat, health and life insurance for union staff, and insurance coverage for tanker drivers.
He pledged continuity and reform under his leadership. “Your dedication, sacrifices and steadfast leadership have laid a strong and admirable foundation upon which we shall continue to build.
”We want to assure you that the new leadership under my watch will not disappoint,” Oladiti said.
He added that his administration would prioritise collaboration with government, employers, and other stakeholders to improve workers’ welfare and strengthen the national economy.
“We shall work tirelessly to strengthen our Union and uphold the dignity of labour.
”We will collaborate with the government and labour friendly employers and other social partners for the betterment of the Nigerian economy and also to improve the welfare and working conditions of our members across the country,” he said.
Oladiti also pledged to engage “anti-union employers” through dialogue and diplomacy, insisting that members’ rights and welfare would remain central to his administration.
He also announced plans to establish a “truth and reconciliation committee” and work closely with past leaders and elders of the union.
Former NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, in his farewell remarks, highlighted his achievements, including improved welfare packages, infrastructure development, and insurance schemes for workers and tanker drivers.
In his goodwill message, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo, described Akporeha as a strong ally in labour advocacy.
He also noted that recent divestments by International Oil Companies had not led to job losses among NUPENG and PENGASSAN members.
