The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has issued a three-day forewarning of suspension of lifting and dispensing petroleum products, starting from the early hours of Tuesday.

In a statement on Sunday, PETROAN National President, Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, said the move is a response to what the association described as emerging monopolistic practices in the sector, warning that the development could cripple private depot owners, modular refineries, marketers, retail outlets, and truck operators.

The crisis follows the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers’ (NUPENG) announcement of a nationwide strike beginning Monday, September 8. The union is protesting alleged anti-labour practices linked to Dangote Refinery’s deployment of newly imported Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks for direct distribution of petroleum products— a move aimed at cutting logistics costs but one which unions fear will wipe out thousands of jobs.

Gillis-Harry stressed that while PETROAN supports fair competition, Dangote’s aggressive distribution model could trigger mass unemployment, mirroring what happened in the cement industry.

He called on President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), as well as security chiefs and NNPC Ltd., to urgently intervene to avert nationwide hardship.

“Any strategy that promises short-term gains but ultimately establishes monopoly is dangerous for Nigerians,” Gillis-Harry warned.

PETROAN has directed that no pump attendant who joins the strike should be victimised, noting that most attendants are registered NUPENG members. The association also resolved to deploy a 120-man compliance team to protect member facilities during the shutdown.

The statement added that PETROAN remains committed to workers’ rights, fair competition, and ensuring pricing stability in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.