In the heart of Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector, a storm brews at the gates of the Dangote Refinery—Africa’s largest oil processing facility.
What began as a labor dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, has escalated into a full-blown national emergency, threatening to choke the lifeblood of the country’s energy sector.
To avert the looming crisis, the Federal Government has called on the warring parties to sheathe their swords.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, made the appeal on Sunday in a statement, stressing that the Ministry has taken steps to bring both parties to a roundtable in order to prevent the dispute from escalating further.
According to the statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour, Patience Onuobia, the minister disclosed that invitations had been extended to both the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend an emergency meeting in his office on Monday for the conciliation of their dispute.
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“The Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations has extended invitations to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.
“I appeal to both parties to be mindful of the importance of the petroleum sector to the country, being the core of its economy. A strike will not only lead to heavy revenue losses for the country but also cause more hardship and difficulties for Nigerians.
Consequently, it will have adverse impacts, both on economic stability and national security,” he said.
It would be recalled that PENGASSAN had directed members in field locations to down tools from Sunday, and ordered a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from Monday.
“All PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28 September 2025 and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel,” the union said.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, 29th of September, 2025.
“No intervention whatsoever will be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk; such clearance must be obtained from the National Secretariat.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately,
“All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.”
“An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” it added.
To add fuel to the raging inferno, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has declared its intention to join PENGASSAN in the nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery.
TUC Secretary General Nuhu Toro disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The union demanded a public apology from Dangote Refinery for sacking over 800 workers due to their voluntary membership of PENGASSAN.
TUC stressed that no company or corporation would be allowed to trample on the dignity and rights of Nigerian workers.
It therefore notified all affiliates to be on standby for a national industrial action if Dangote management fails to comply, reverse the sacking and issue a public apology.
“The Congress hereby places all affiliates on standby for a national industrial action if Dangote management fails to comply with these demands within a reasonable time.
“We stand in full solidarity with the affected workers and with their union, our affiliate PENGASSAN, whose members have been victimised merely for declaring membership. Such actions amount to a direct assault on Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and on Nigeria’s obligations under International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
“No corporation, regardless of size or wealth, will be allowed to trample on the dignity and rights of Nigerian workers. The TUC stands united and ready to act decisively in defence of our members and the Nigerian workforce,” TUC stated.
Not taking it lying down, the management of Dangote Refinery has fired back at PENGASSAN, saying the union has affirmed its decision to unleash terror on the Nigerian State and all Nigerians with the strike action.
In a lengthy statement titled Lawless PENGASSAN: Its Lies And Terror Tactics, the refinery’s management condemned the action of the association, labelling it an act of terrorism.
“PENGASSAN has, by this release, affirmed its decision to unleash the terror which we forewarned in our release of 27 September 2025, on the Nigerian State and all Nigerians.
It has directed its members across the Nigerian State not to enable howsoever the production and supply by Dangote Refinery of those basic petroleum products which Nigerians and businesses across the country need for their daily sustenance and living such as but not limited to kerosene, petrol, diesel, cooking gas and aviation fuel. In the process, it cares little if at all about the unbearable hardship and terror it would thereby inflict on all Nigerians, including but not limited to the provision of essential services in our hospitals and medical facilities, schools (nursery and right up to tertiary and research institutions), emergency services, communications facilities, transportation systems, etc” the refinery warned.
Continuing, it noted, “And why is the Association embarking on this act of terror? It claims in its Release “that Dangote Refinery” has taken a “unilateral action to sack over 800 members of our Association for joining PENGASSAN”; “that Dangote Refinery” enslaves “Nigerian workers” and sacked “all Nigerians working in the refinery and” hired “over 2,000 Indians”; and that the jobs of “over 800” presumably Nigerian staff in Dangote Refinery “have been given to Indians”.
“These are all lies that have been consistently debunked by Dangote Refinery, including in its recent release of 26 September 2025 which was in response to these same lies that PENGASSAN has been peddling” it added.
As the nation watches, the question looms: Can the Federal Government broker peace before the strike cripples the economy?
