FG Steps In as Dangote, PENGASSAN Clash Sparks Nationwide Strike

  Ebiegberi Abaye

  POLITICS

Monday, September 29, 2025   12:18 PM

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FG Steps In as Dangote, PENGASSAN Clash Sparks Nationwide Strike


The Federal Government has moved to stop the growing face-off between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), which triggered a nationwide strike on Sunday.


The crisis began after PENGASSAN accused the refinery of sacking over 800 Nigerian workers for joining the union and replacing them with Indians. The union ordered its members to withdraw services, cutting crude oil and gas supplies, and vowed the strike would not end until the dismissed workers were recalled.


The shutdown has also affected members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), who say they cannot work because essential approvals and documents are being withheld.


Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, appealed to PENGASSAN to suspend the strike and invited both sides to an emergency meeting in Abuja today. He warned that prolonged industrial action in the oil and gas sector could cause revenue losses, hardship for Nigerians, and threaten national security.


“I appeal to both parties to consider the importance of the petroleum sector to our economy. A strike will only worsen the hardship Nigerians face,” the minister said.


Meanwhile, PENGASSAN insisted that only the unconditional reinstatement of its members would end the strike. The union argued that freedom of association and unionism is a right, not a privilege.


The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has also declared support for PENGASSAN and placed its affiliates on standby for a wider strike, warning that Dangote’s actions could set a dangerous precedent in the oil industry.


But the management of Dangote Refinery fired back, accusing PENGASSAN of decades of sabotage in Nigeria’s oil sector. It described the strike as an act of economic sabotage aimed at inflicting hardship on ordinary Nigerians, claiming the union only serves the interests of its leaders.


“This strike is not about protecting workers, but about weaponising hardship against over 230 million Nigerians,” the refinery said in a statement, stressing that it employs thousands of Nigerians with better pay and benefits than industry standards.


Civil society groups are also divided. While the Concerned Nigerian Consumers Forum accused PENGASSAN of trying to undermine the refinery and risk fuel scarcity, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) urged both sides to return to the table for dialogue.


As the standoff deepens, soldiers have reportedly been deployed to some facilities, with union leaders alleging intimidation of their members.


For now, all eyes are on today’s meeting at the Ministry of Labour, as Nigerians brace for the outcome of a showdown that could affect fuel supply, prices, and the wider economy.

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