On Tuesday, a united front of student organizations, such as the National Association of Oduduwa Students, the Coalition of Yoruba Students, and the Yoruba Movement, organized a demonstration to address the ongoing conflict involving Dangote Refinery and various labor unions within the oil and gas sector.
This peaceful rally was designed to express unwavering support for Dangote Refinery amid its disputes with key labor groups, particularly the Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The protesters gathered at the Iwo Road Roundabout, located at the terminus of the Ibadan/Lagos expressway in Ibadan, Oyo State, where they vocally demonstrated their backing through chants and songs.
From this point, the group proceeded along prominent thoroughfares, brandishing placards with messages like “Save Dangote Refinery” to amplify their cause.
Clad in coordinated shirts emblazoned with the slogan “Save Dangote Refinery,” the students aimed to alert government officials to what they perceive as a deliberate effort by certain groups to undermine the operations of Nigeria’s premier industrial project and Africa’s largest single-train refinery.
Olalere Adetunji, President of NAOS, issued a direct plea to President Bola Tinubu and other key stakeholders, urging immediate governmental intervention.
“We urge the federal government to safeguard the refinery and ensure that labor disputes and marketer disagreements do not hinder Nigeria’s progress toward achieving fuel independence,” he stressed.
Throughout the demonstration, security personnel, including the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps, were on hand to ensure the event remained orderly and peaceful.