The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has ordered an immediate withdrawal of services nationwide. This affects Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
They accused management of unlawfully sacking hundreds of Nigerian staff. The management is allegedly replacing them with foreign workers.
The strike directive includes the halting of crude and gas supplies to the plant. There is also a full shutdown of union offices starting Monday, 29 September 2025.
PENGASSAN says the action is a result of an emergency National Executive Council meeting. This meeting was convened after what the union describes as an unlawful purge of more than 800 Nigerian employees.
The union further alleges that the dismissed staff have been replaced by over 2,000 workers from India. The union brands this move an affront to national labour rights. It is also seen as an assault on local employment.
The union has ordered members in field locations to down tools. It has also instructed them to withhold all processes involving gas and crude supply to the Dangote complex.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has defended the personnel changes as part of a reorganisation. The company states this was needed due to repeated incidents of sabotage. These incidents, according to the company, threatened operational safety across several units.
In a letter dated 24 September, the refinery notified staff of a restructure. This change aims to protect the integrity of the 650,000 barrels per day facility. The company insists the move is not arbitrary but necessary to secure the plant and its output.
If PENGASSAN’s shutdown is sustained the economic reverberations will be immediate. The refinery supplies domestic markets and international commitments. It sits at the centre of President Bola Tinubu’s plan to reduce forex pressure by keeping petrol sales onshore.
Labour stoppages that interrupt crude and gas lines risk reducing refined fuel availability. They also push up pump prices, which are already sensitive to foreign exchange and supply chain strain. Analysts warn thermal plants and other downstream users also be affected if gas flows are curtailed.
The political temperature rose on Sunday. The Federal Government reportedly moved to broker a truce. The Labour Ministry appealed to the union to reconsider full withdrawal while talks continue. The Ministry’s intervention acknowledges the high stakes involved for national energy security and economic stability.
This confrontation exposes wider structural tensions. Dangote’s Lekki complex was touted as a transformational national asset. It promised jobs and import substitution when it opened. Yet, it has also been a flashpoint for disputes about labour standards and workforce composition.
The spectre of mass dismissals at a plant raises questions about corporate governance. This plant, at capacity, would rank among the world’s largest single train refineries. The incident also raises concerns about the handling of internal security incidents. Moreover, it questions compliance with Nigerian labour law and international conventions on freedom of association.
For now the fronts are set. PENGASSAN has linked prayers and 24 hour vigils to the strike. They have vowed to keep pressure until dismissed workers are reinstated. Dangote says safety and efficiency drove its decisions.
The Federal Government must resolve a dilemma. A private megaproject is essential to the national fuel strategy. It conflicts with public expectations of job protection and rule of law.
How ministers tackle this dilemma will decide Nigeria’s future. It will lead to a brief industrial drama or a prolonged crisis. Such a crisis would have serious consequences for consumers and the economy.
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