Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Ishaq Salako, has warned that hospitals nationwide could face a severe crisis if the planned strike by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) goes ahead.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Salako noted that most hospitals in the country depend on generators for power supply. He stressed that disruptions in fuel distribution caused by the strike would have devastating consequences for patients and healthcare delivery.

NUPENG had announced plans to down tools in protest against the Dangote Refinery’s decision to prevent its compressed natural gas (CNG) truck drivers from joining labour unions. The union insists the policy violates workers’ rights to freely associate.

Salako appealed to both NUPENG and Dangote to reconsider their positions in the interest of ordinary Nigerians, particularly those whose lives depend on hospital care.

“My appeal is simple: dialogue must take priority. Dangote is contributing to domestic capacity, but workers also have the right to unionise. What matters now is balance, because a strike will hit ordinary citizens the hardest,” he said.

The minister added that the federal government is closely monitoring the situation, urging both parties to resolve their differences without shutting down essential services.