Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has revealed that drivers employed by his company earn higher salaries than many Nigerian graduates.

The billionaire industrialist made the statement while responding to allegations by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), which recently accused him and Sayyu Dantata of engaging in anti-union practices and attempting to monopolize Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas distribution sector.

NUPENG had also threatened a nationwide strike from September 8 in protest against the deployment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks by the Dangote Refinery.

Addressing the concerns, Dangote dismissed fears that monopoly could lead to job losses, insisting that the newly launched trucks would instead create about 24,000 jobs, with each vehicle requiring six personnel. He added that his drivers earn nearly three to four times the national minimum wage, with some taking home more than university graduates.

He further explained that after five years of accident-free service, drivers become eligible for housing loans.

“Our drivers earn more than graduates. If you check their monthly pay, it’s almost four times the minimum wage,” Dangote said.