Breaking: NARTO Suspends Planned Nationwide Strike

The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has suspended its planned nationwide strike.

CityNews reports that this development came after Monday’s meeting with the Federal Government and stakeholders, following the suspension of operations by tanker drivers who halted the lifting of petroleum products due to harsh economic conditions.

The Federal Government had pledged to address the concerns of oil transporters and distributors to ensure smooth distribution of petroleum products.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, made this known Monday in Abuja when he met with some of the oil stakeholders in the downstream sector.

Recall that the association had, in a letter dated February 15, 2024, addressed to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), directed all its members to withdraw their petroleum trucks from product-loading activities from Monday, February 19, 2024.

According to NARTO, this was due to the exorbitant cost of diesel, which they use to power their trucks to transport petroleum products across Nigeria.