Tensions flared on Monday at the towers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) in Abuja as members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) staged a protest.
The demonstration responded directly to Dangote Refinery, which dismissed over 800 workers last week, citing repeated acts of sabotage that threatened safety and disrupted operations.
Union Strikes Back
In response, PENGASSAN condemned the sackings as a blatant attack on workers’ rights.
The union argued that the refinery deliberately targeted staff for union membership, thereby violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and international conventions.
Consequently, the association called on its members to withdraw services and halt all gas and crude supply to the refinery, warning that personnel or assets would receive protection only in immediate-risk situations.
Read Also: Dangote Refinery Hit By Strike Over Mass Layoffs: PENGASSAN
The union also accused Dangote Refinery of replacing Nigerian workers with over 2,000 foreign staff, which it described as a betrayal of a country that had supported the refinery with unprecedented incentives.
“The affected workers and their families have suffered unjustly, and this dangerous precedent must not stand,” the union declared.
Government Steps In
Furthermore, the National Executive Council of PENGASSAN ordered all members across offices, companies, and agencies to suspend services from 00:01 on Monday, September 29, 2025.
They instructed IOC branches to scale down gas production and supply to the refinery and petrochemical operations.
Meanwhile, the federal government urged the union to reconsider its strike plans and invited both parties to a dispute resolution meeting.
As discussions loom, the standoff highlights the tense balance between corporate interests and workers’ rights in one of Nigeria’s most prominent private refineries.
