Petrol Scarcity Looms as PENGASSAN Declares Nationwide Strike Against Dangote Refinery

• The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has declared a nationwide strike
• PENGASSAN disclosed in a statement that the move follows the alleged unlawful sack of over 800 Nigerian staff by Dangote Refinery
• The union accused the mega refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, Constitution and international treaties

Pascal Oparada, a reporter for Legit.ng, has over ten years of experience covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy.

Nigeria may be heading into another round of fuel scarcity as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has declared a nationwide strike against Dangote Refinery.

The move follows the alleged unlawful dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers by the $20 billion facility, which PENGASSAN described as a brazen attack on labour rights.

Union accuses Dangote Refinery of labour law violations

In a resolution issued after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, PENGASSAN accused Dangote Refinery of violating Nigerian labour laws, the Constitution, and international conventions by sacking staff for joining the association.

“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.

Beyond the sackings, the union also accused the refinery of engaging in discriminatory hiring practices.

According to PENGASSAN, more than 2,000 Indian nationals were employed at the facility while qualified Nigerian workers were sidelined or dismissed.

The NEC argued that such practices were unjust, left hundreds of families in hardship, and signalled a dangerous precedent for the country’s workforce.

Nationwide strike kicks off

Following the NEC’s resolution, PENGASSAN directed all its members across field locations to withdraw services from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2025.

The strike covers control room operations, panel duties, outfield activities, and office work across companies, institutions, and agencies nationwide.

The NEC further ordered a complete halt of gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery.

International oil companies (IOCs) were instructed to ramp down production and cut off supply to the refinery and its associated petrochemical plants.

“All intervention whatsoever will not be entertained across field locations except where the safety of personnel and assets is at risk,” the NEC stated, emphasising that such clearance could only come from the union’s National Secretariat.

“An injury to one is an injury to all”

PENGASSAN framed the strike as a collective fight for Nigerian workers’ rights, urging members to remain resolute.

“No man is bigger than our country. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the NEC declared, warning against a culture of impunity in which private companies undermine labour protections without consequence.

The resolution was signed by Lumumba Ighotemu Okugbawa, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, who insisted the union would not back down until the dismissed workers were reinstated.

Potential fallout for Nigeria’s oil supply

The faceoff threatens to disrupt petroleum supply chains across Nigeria, raising fears of a nationwide fuel scarcity.

The Dangote Refinery—Africa’s largest and a project touted as key to ending Nigeria’s dependence on imported petroleum products—has now become the epicentre of a fierce labour dispute.

As tensions escalate between organised labour and the refinery, Nigerians may soon feel the pinch at petrol stations if the strike holds, compounding the nation’s already fragile energy supply challenges.

Dangote, depot owners slash petrol, diesel prices

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria’s petroleum market has entered another wave of price cuts as Dangote Petroleum Refinery and private depot operators slash petrol and diesel prices across key supply hubs.

This move comes even as international oil benchmarks surged, with Brent crude trading at $66.60 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) climbing to $63.15.

Industry analysts say the contrast highlights a deepening price war in the downstream sector, as depot owners battle to retain market share against Dangote’s aggressive expansion.

Source: Legit.ng