The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members to withdraw their services nationwide, a move that threatens to disrupt the country’s oil and gas sector. The action follows the alleged mass dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers by the Dangote Refinery, one of the world’s largest single-train facilities.
In a circular issued after an emergency meeting on Saturday, the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) accused the refinery of violating national labour laws, the constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions. PENGASSAN alleges the workers were dismissed for joining the association.
The union further claimed the refinery had replaced the dismissed Nigerian staff with “over 2,000 Indians,” an action it called “an affront to all workers in Nigeria.”
Strike Action and Potential Impact
PENGASSAN has directed all members working in field locations—including control room and panel operators—to “down tools” starting Sunday, September 28, 2025. A total nationwide shutdown across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies is mandated from Monday, September 29, 2025.
Crucially, the union has ordered a halt to all processes involving gas and crude supply to the Dangote Refinery. The directive explicitly tells International Oil Company (IOC) branches to “ramp down gas production and supply” to the massive 650,000-barrel-per-day facility and its petrochemicals complex.
If fully observed, the strike risks serious disruption to the refinery’s operations and could potentially have wider implications for Nigeria’s downstream oil sector and its thermal power plants, which rely on gas. PENGASSAN has stated the industrial action will continue until all dismissed workers are reinstated.
Refinery Denies Mass Sacking
The dispute escalated following a September 24 letter from the refinery ordering the sacking of some staff over alleged sabotage that management said threatened operational safety.
However, the Dangote Refinery management has denied the claims of a mass sacking. The company insists it is conducting an internal reorganisation aimed at improving efficiency and maintains that the majority of its workforce remains Nigerian.
This latest clash follows earlier tensions between the refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over labour rights and safety standards. PENGASSAN has appealed to the government and other stakeholders to intervene in what it calls a matter of “urgent national importance.”
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