Students Stage Protest In Ibadan, Declare Support For Dangote Refinery

In a rare show of solidarity, hundreds of students on Tuesday poured into the streets of Ibadan, Oyo State, rallying support for the Dangote Refinery amid its ongoing clash with major oil unions and marketers’ associations.

The demonstrators, drawn from the National Association of Oduduwa Students (NAOS), the Coalition of Yoruba Students, and the Yoruba Movement, converged on Iwo Road Roundabout, chanting solidarity songs and waving banners in defence of what they described as “Nigeria’s most valuable industrial investment.”

Clad in matching shirts bearing the inscription “Don’t Kill Dangote Refinery,” the students carried placards with bold messages such as “#StopSabotage,” “#EndPENGASSAN,” “#EndDAPPMAN,” and “Dangote Refinery Is a National Asset.”

The protest, which moved through key routes along the Ibadan–Lagos Expressway, caused temporary traffic disruption but remained largely peaceful. Security personnel, including the police and officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, were on ground to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Speaking during the demonstration, NAOS President, Olalere Adetunji, urged President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities to wade into the crisis, warning that “coordinated attempts by vested interests” could sabotage Nigeria’s quest for energy self-sufficiency.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to protect this refinery. It represents a bold step toward ending our dependence on imported fuel. Labour actions and market manoeuvres must not derail the country’s economic progress,” Adetunji stated.

The protest comes against the backdrop of the refinery’s ongoing dispute with PENGASSAN, NUPENG, and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) over issues surrounding product pricing, distribution, and labour conditions.

While the standoff continues, the students’ intervention underscores growing public concern over the fate of the refinery, widely regarded as a symbol of Nigeria’s industrial resurgence.

As at press time, the protest was still ongoing, with chants of “Save Dangote Refinery” echoing across Ibadan’s major intersections.

Details later…