NUPENG elects Oladiti as new President

Goli Innocent

Lagos — The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has elected Salimon Oladiti as its new president, signalling a leadership change at a time when Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is under pressure from reforms, restructuring and shifting labour dynamics.

Oladiti, a former National Trustee of the union, was elected at the 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference held in Lagos. His emergence places him at the centre of one of the most influential labour bodies in Nigeria’s energy sector, where union decisions often ripple across fuel supply, distribution logistics and industrial relations.

Akin Oladejo, former Chairman of the Oil and Gas Supply Branch, was also elected Deputy President, completing the new leadership structure.

The transition comes at a sensitive moment for the petroleum industry. Nigeria is currently grappling with refinery expansion efforts, deregulation of the downstream sector, and ongoing debates around energy transition and job security. These shifts have continued to raise concerns among workers over wages, welfare protection and long-term employment stability.

NUPENG remains a key player in the country’s energy ecosystem, representing thousands of workers across exploration, refining, distribution and marketing. Beyond labour negotiations, the union has historically influenced fuel supply stability and broader policy conversations around the oil sector.

Industry watchers say the new leadership will be tested on how it manages rising tensions between market liberalisation and workers’ protection, especially as private investment in refining and downstream operations increases.

Attention is also expected to focus on how the union responds to ongoing deregulation policies, local content demands and the restructuring of petroleum distribution networks.

With Nigeria pushing to expand domestic refining capacity and reposition its oil and gas sector for long-term sustainability, labour relations are likely to play a more prominent role in shaping the direction and pace of reforms.