Labour Minister Urges New NUPENG President To Sustain Industrial Harmony, Build On Predecessor’s Legacy

By On Apr 27, 2026

Minister of Labour and Employment, Maigari Dangyadi, at the weekend urged the newly elected President of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Akanni Oladiti, to build on the legacies of his immediate predecessor, Williams Akporeha.

Dangyadi gave the admonition in his goodwill message at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of NUPENG held in Lagos, a statement in Abuja by the organisation said.

Oladiti and 15 others were elected unopposed for a term of four years, as national officers of the umbrella body of junior workers in the oil and gas sector in the country.

Represented by the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations (TUSIR), Falonipe Amos, Dangyadi who recalled the harmonious relationship in the industry between NUPENG and other players in the entire value chain, urged the new NUPENG chief and his team to sustain the template.

The minister maintained that while pushing for the interest of their members, particularly in the area of better welfare, dialogue should not be jettisoned for confrontation.

He said: ” 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.”

In his acceptance speech, Oladiti who commended his predecessor for his achievements which included better remuneration, a befitting edifice as national secretariat, health and life insurance for union staff and insurance scheme for tanker drivers, among others, assured the members that his leadership was determined to take the union to greater heights

Oladiti said:” 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. We are committed to building on the solid progress established by Prince Akporeha’s administration.

“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.

“At the same time, let me assure you that we will not relent in our efforts, in using all necessary diplomacy in dialoguing with all anti-union employers in the industry to secure a better condition of service for our members. The rights and welfare of our members will always remain our top priority.”

Oladiti also declared that he will form a “truth and reconciliation committee” while also working closely with our elders and past leaders.

Earlier in his welcome address, erstwhile NUPENG leader, Akporeha, reiterated that aside from promoting industry harmony through robust engagements, he ensured better remuneration and welfare packages for union staff, constructed a befitting national secretariat and equally put in place health and life insurance for staff as well as introduced health insurance for tanker drivers.

In his goodwill message, President of the Trade Union Congress ( TUC) who also doubles as President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Festus Osifo, described Akporeha as a trusted ally in the agitation for welfare of members in the oil industry.

The PENGASSAN president also recalled that the divestment by certain International Oil Companies (IOCs) in the upstream sector has not affected members. ” No single member of NUPENG or PENGASSAN lost his job,” he stressed.

Emmanuel Addeh