NLC Moves to Challenge Dangote’s Power, Calls for Nationwide Strike

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has shifted its confrontation with the Dangote Group from workplace disputes to a national test of corporate accountability, directing affiliate unions to prepare for a large-scale strike.

In an internal circular signed by its president, Joe Ajaero, the Congress accused Africa’s largest conglomerate of operating above the law, describing its practices as a direct threat to Nigeria’s democratic and labour institutions.

“This fight is no longer about individual workers or unions,” Ajaero said. “It is about whether a corporation can treat the laws of this country as optional.”

The memo, dated September 29, charged Dangote with union suppression, exploitation of employees, and flouting of international labour conventions. 

It also criticised regulators for allegedly allowing the company to act unchecked, saying that the state has “abdicated its duty” to protect workers.

To counter this, the NLC instructed affiliate unions to form Action Mobilisation Committees within 72 hours and begin grassroots unionisation across Dangote facilities nationwide. 

“Unity of purpose and coordination is now a strategic necessity,” the Congress emphasised.

Among the Congress’s demands are full recognition of workers’ rights to join unions, an end to victimisation, and adherence to Nigeria’s labour framework.

The NLC’s decision signals a broader struggle over the balance of power between corporate interests and organised labour in Nigeria. 

“The empire built by Nigerian workers cannot be allowed to become a monument of their oppression,” Ajaero warned.

If carried out, the strike could extend beyond oil and gas unions already in dispute with Dangote, potentially shaking supply chains and testing the government’s willingness to confront the influence of one of Africa’s most powerful companies.