Nigeria’s oil industry faces unprecedented turbulence as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members nationwide to embark on a total strike from Monday, September 29, 2025.
The directive comes after PENGASSAN alleged that Dangote Refinery dismissed more than 800 Nigerian workers for joining the union, replacing them with “over 2,000 Indians.”
In a statement signed by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union described the development as a gross violation of Nigeria’s labour laws, the national Constitution, and international conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Full Shutdown Announced
According to the union, members across all facilities began withdrawing services at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, while a blanket shutdown affecting all affiliated companies, institutions, and agencies will commence at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be let off effectively immediately,” the NEC circular directed.
International Oil Companies (IOCs) were also ordered to reduce crude and gas supply to the refinery and its petrochemical units.
PENGASSAN Issues Ultimatum
The NEC also declared that the strike will not end until dismissed workers are reinstated. It announced daily prayer vigils and appealed for urgent government mediation.
“An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” the circular stressed.
Dangote’s Position
Dangote Refinery has denied claims of mass retrenchment. Management insists it is undergoing an internal restructuring aimed at boosting efficiency while retaining the majority of Nigerian workers.
This labour standoff comes barely weeks after the refinery engaged in a heated dispute with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over working conditions and safety.
The crisis threatens to disrupt supply chains across the downstream petroleum sector, potentially triggering nationwide fuel scarcity.
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