The Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE) has called for urgent legislative reforms to safeguard investors and business owners across Nigeria from rising labor disputes and union pressures.
This push comes amid recent high-profile conflicts in the energy sector, including the early October 2025 standoff between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), which briefly disrupted national fuel supplies and echoed similar tensions in oil-rich regions like Rivers State.
In a statement dated October 6, 2025, CPPE’s founder and chief executive, Dr. Muda Yusuf, stressed the need for a balanced legal framework that protects job creators while upholding workers’ rights. “The current labor environment is increasingly hostile to private investment, with unions wielding disproportionate power that can paralyze operations and deter foreign capital,” Yusuf said.
He pointed to the PENGASSAN strike on October 1, 2025, which halted gas flows to refineries and power plants, as a stark example of how unresolved grievances can cascade into economic setbacks nationwide.
Yusuf advocated for amendments to the Trade Unions Act and Labour Act, proposing measures like mandatory arbitration panels, limits on strike durations in essential services, and incentives for dialogue over disruption. These changes, he argued, would foster investor confidence, especially in volatile areas such as the Niger Delta, where Rivers State’s vast oil and gas fields drive federal revenues but face frequent industrial actions.
Also see: Pump Prices Remain High Despite Dangote’s ₦820 per Litre Supply
The appeal aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda, which emphasizes private sector growth to combat unemployment and inflation. Federal intervention on October 2, 2025, resolved the Dangote dispute through ministerial talks, but CPPE warns that without systemic fixes, similar incidents—seen in Port Harcourt’s refineries as recently as September 2025—could erode Nigeria’s appeal to global partners.
It bears mentioning that Economists echo Yusuf’s concerns, noting that stable labor relations could unlock billions in investments for infrastructure and job training in states like Rivers, benefiting local communities through sustainable development. As Nigeria navigates post-reform recovery, this proposed law could mark a turning point for equitable growth.
