The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members across the country to withdraw services in protest against what it described as the unlawful dismissal of over 800 of its members by Dangote Refinery.
The directive was issued on Saturday following an emergency meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC). PENGASSAN accused the refinery of violating Nigerian labour laws, the Constitution, and international conventions by sacking workers for joining the association.
Accusations against Dangote Refinery
According to PENGASSAN, Dangote Refinery’s alleged action amounts to an attack on workers’ rights and an affront to organised labour.
“The unilateral action to sack over 800 members of our Association for joining PENGASSAN is an affront to all workers in Nigeria and a deliberate violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and ILO conventions,” the NEC declared.
The union also accused the refinery of promoting unfair labour practices, including hiring foreign workers over Nigerians. It claimed that more than 2,000 Indian nationals had been employed at the facility while Nigerian workers were allegedly sidelined or dismissed.
“That no man or company, no matter how highly placed, is above the law and cannot be called to order by national institutions,” PENGASSAN said, adding that the development was “a show of disloyalty to the country” and could set “a dangerous precedence.”
The NEC further argued that the displacement of Nigerian staff by foreign workers was unjust and had left hundreds of families in hardship.
Nationwide withdrawal of services
As part of its resolutions, PENGASSAN directed all members working across field locations to commence a nationwide withdrawal of services starting from 06:00 a.m. on Sunday, 28 September 2025.
The directive includes halting control room operations, panel operations, and outfield activities, while members in offices, companies, institutions, and agencies are also to down tools effective Monday, 29 September 2025.
“All intervention whatsoever will not be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk,” the union said, noting that such clearance must be obtained from its National Secretariat.
Significantly, the NEC ordered that all processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be cut off with immediate effect. In addition, it instructed international oil companies (IOCs) to ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and associated petrochemical operations.
“An injury to one is an injury to all”
The union urged members to remain resolute, describing the strike as a collective defence of Nigerian workers’ rights.
“No man is bigger than our country. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the NEC declared.
PENGASSAN also called on Nigerians to recognise what it described as the dangers of allowing private companies to flout labour laws with impunity.
The resolution was signed by Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, the General Secretary of PENGASSAN, who stressed that the union would not back down until the dismissed workers were reinstated and justice was served.
The directive comes amid rising tension between Dangote Refinery and organised labour. The $20 billion refinery, which is the largest in Africa, has been at the centre of disputes over employment practices and market dominance in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The latest development is expected to escalate the confrontation between PENGASSAN and the refinery, with possible disruptions to Nigeria’s petroleum supply chain if the strike is enforced.
