May 14, 2026
Arguably one of the most powerful industrial unions in Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, at its 6th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference, NDC, in Lagos drew a bold line in the sand, sending a strong message to industry power brokers and policymakers amid chants of solidarity and defiance.
NUPENG vowed to confront what it described as rising anti-labour practices threatening the rights and dignity of its members.
Addressing delegates, union leaders, and government officials in his valedictory speech, outgoing NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, spoke with urgency and resolve, painting a picture of an industry where workers are increasingly pressured, sidelined, and, in some cases, denied their fundamental right to unionise.
His declaration—”We won’t be silenced”—was not mere rhetoric but a rallying cry against policies and practices the union says are eroding decades of labour gains.
