Dangote truck drivers earn more than graduates, far more than Nigeria’s minimum wage

September 18, 2025

Addressing the recent debacle between the Dangote Oil Refinery and union groups in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector, Africa's richest man and the chairman of the oil refinery, Aliko Dangote, refuted claims that his distribution plan could lead to job losses.

Dangote truck drivers earn more than graduates, far more than Nigeria’s minimum wage

Aliko Dangote dismissed claims that job losses would result from the Dangote Refinery's new distribution plan.
The refinery plans to operate 4,000 CNG-powered trucks to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Concerns from union groups included fears of disruption in the current petroleum supply chain and monopolistic practices.
Dangote highlighted that the initiative would create 24,000 new jobs, with high salaries and additional benefits for workers.
During a press conference on Monday, the chairman of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, put to rest the notion that his plan to have 4000 in-house CNG trucks would lead to job losses.
“So these trucks they are fighting about, it will create 24,000 jobs,” he said.
“And let me give you another good news, our salary is almost three times or four times their own (Nigerian Union drivers).
"After 5 years free of accidents, since you're driving hazardous goods, you can apply for and get a housing loan.
Our drivers earn more than graduates; if you look at what they earn a month, it's almost four times the minimum wage," he added.
Going by the face value of Nigeria's current minimum wage, which sits at ₦70,000 per month ($46.84), a Dangote truck driver, according to Africa's richest man, would be earning anywhere from ₦210,000 to ₦280,000.
A report published last year by Piggyvest, based on responses from 10,000 individuals across various demographics, indicated that the majority of Nigerians earn ₦100,000 or less, lending considerable credence to Dangote's assertion.
According to the report, "more than one in three Nigerians earn less than ₦100,000, making it the income bracket with the highest number of Nigerians."
Income bracket of Nigerians [Piggyvest]
This report, however, does not paint the full picture as it represents all demographics and all walks of life, including the informal sector, which has a good number of Non-graduates.
Nonetheless, a report by Nexford, a 100% online American university licensed in Washington, D.C., revealed that salaries for jobs such as digital marketer, sales representative, and graphic designer, all of which typically require formal education, have entry-level salaries of ₦150,000.
This, of course, increases over time.
Jobs such as content writer and customer service representative have entry-level salaries of ₦80,000 to ₦90,000, while a web designer boasts ₦200,000.
Dangote's comments were made to address the recent clash he had with union workers led by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Dangote's clash with union workers
In June 2025, the Dangote Refinery announced plans to create an in-house distribution engine using 4,000 CNG-powered trucks.
The initiative was created with the intention of cutting yearly gasoline distribution costs by ₦1.7 trillion and enhancing the efficiency of Nigeria's fuel supply chain.
Immediately, the plan was announced, the Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), a non-profit organization representing most of the retail outlet owners and filling stations across Nigeria, publicly criticized the initiative, describing it as a dangerous overreach.
At the time, PETROAN said that allowing Dangote to act as both producer and distributor would result in monopolistic market domination, reduce competition.
The Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA) also expressed concerns about Dangote's plan.
Members of NOGASA act as intermediaries both refineries and end users.
NOGASA President, Benneth Korie, cautioned that deploying the CNG trucks might have serious ramifications for the downstream sector, including the disruption of the country's petroleum supply chain.
He inferred that the plan could result in the loss of thousands of jobs, particularly those held by small merchants, transporters, and suppliers whose livelihoods rely on the present distribution network.
However, Dangote at the press conference scoffed at the notion, stating that, as opposed to these groups' initial concerns, the refinery’s distribution plan would actually create more jobs.
Dangote’s response to job concerns
We are not trying to take anybody out of the market. These trucks that we launched didn’t stop anybody from their work,” Africa’s richest man stated.
Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Group, during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, US, on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. [Getty Images]
You are saying there will be a loss of jobs, will our own tankers be driven by robots?
By the time you take a workshop, managers, people who look after tires, people who look after logistics, dispatch, every truck is about 6 people,” Dangote added.
By Salisu Umar Manta
salisuumarmanta@gmail.com