All Eyes on FG As PENGASSAN, Dangote Clash Set to Paralyse Nation

…PENGASSAN Insists on Nationwide Strike Today
…Dangote, PTD Slam Union Over Economic Sabotage
…Labour Minister Urges Restraint

By Yinka Giwa

Nigeria faces fresh disruption in its critical oil and gas sector as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) today begins a nationwide strike to protest the alleged dismissal of 800 Nigerian workers by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The strike directive, issued over the weekend, compels members across upstream, midstream, and downstream companies to halt crude oil and gas supply, including to Africa’s largest refinery, owned by billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote. The action, which takes effect this morning, threatens to paralyse petroleum operations, trigger fuel scarcity, and worsen the economic hardship of millions of Nigerians already grappling with high inflation and unemployment.

The strike call has, however, been met with stiff opposition from both the Dangote Group and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). Both stakeholders described the union’s move as reckless and unpatriotic. After a marathon emergency meeting on Sunday at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, PTD stakeholders denounced PENGASSAN’s action as insensitive, particularly as it comes just two days before Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. A communiqué issued after the meeting, signed by Comrade Obi-Dede Wonder, accused the union of plotting to embarrass President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and sabotage Nigeria’s economic powerhouse. “There is no justification for PENGASSAN to embark on this embarrassing journey to picket Dangote Refinery on account of an allegation that 800 Nigerian workers were relieved of their jobs. Where is the logic in this? Eight hundred people lost their jobs, and over 200 million Nigerians will now face the brunt?” the PTD declared.

The drivers argued that the timing of the strike was provocative and cruel, and warned that such actions should attract immediate arrest and prosecution of union leaders. According to them, the union’s intention was not to protect jobs but to destabilise the economy and undermine Tinubu’s reform agenda. They reminded Nigerians of the devastating impact of the EndSARS protests of 2020, cautioning that the government could not afford a repeat of such chaos at a time the country was struggling to recover from years of economic mismanagement.

Dangote Refinery, for its part, has strongly refuted PENGASSAN’s allegations of mass sackings. In a statement over the weekend, management explained that it merely carried out an internal reorganisation to improve efficiency, insisting that the bulk of its workforce remained Nigerian. It warned that the strike call was unjustifiable and could inflict severe damage on the economy by disrupting supply chains critical to the downstream sector. The refinery, a $20 billion investment hailed as a transformative project for Nigeria’s energy independence, is regarded as central to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the Petroleum Industry Act. Its operations are expected to save the country billions of dollars in import costs, stabilise foreign exchange reserves, and create thousands of jobs.

The Federal Government, alarmed by the strike call, has appealed for restraint and urged PENGASSAN to shelve its planned action in the interest of national stability. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Dingyadi, in a statement, said: “While government recognises the inalienable rights of workers to organise and protest perceived injustices, such rights must be exercised with responsibility, fairness, and patriotism. Nigeria is at a critical juncture in its economic recovery, and any action that disrupts the petroleum sector at this time will inflict disproportionate hardship on citizens. We therefore call on PENGASSAN to suspend its strike directive and return to the negotiation table. Dialogue remains the most effective way of resolving industrial disputes.” The minister disclosed that both Dangote Refinery management and PENGASSAN leadership had been invited to an emergency meeting in Abuja this morning to resolve the matter.

The PTD, in its statement, accused PENGASSAN and its junior affiliate, NUPENG, of thriving on outdated tactics of extortion through compulsory dues while undermining Nigeria’s strategic national assets. It stressed that employers, including Dangote Refinery, had the constitutional right to hire or disengage workers where necessary, particularly in cases where efficiency, industrial safety, and national energy security were at stake. “PENGASSAN is not bigger than Nigeria,” the PTD insisted. “National interest must come first. A responsible union must learn to be patriotic, resolve disputes through dialogue, and respect both local and international order.”

The unfolding crisis highlights the tension between union rights and national interest in strategic industries. PENGASSAN maintains that it is standing up for Nigerian workers allegedly victimised by the refinery, while critics accuse it of pursuing narrow political motives designed to undermine Tinubu’s presidency. With the refinery seen as the crown jewel of Nigeria’s energy sector reforms, any prolonged disruption to its operations could derail Tinubu’s economic recovery plan and reignite widespread hardship for ordinary citizens.

The PTD has already called on Tinubu, who doubles as the nation’s substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, to “activate the country’s security architecture” and prevent PENGASSAN from crippling the refinery. “We call on the father of the nation to advise the Police as well as the Ministry of Labour and Employment to swing into action and save Nigeria from this avoidable international embarrassment and breach of industrial peace,” the drivers urged.

With the strike commencing today, Nigerians are bracing for possible fuel shortages and supply disruptions. Long queues at petrol stations could re-emerge within days, while transport costs and commodity prices may spike if the standoff drags on. All eyes are now on this morning’s emergency meeting in Abuja. If talks succeed, the strike may be suspended and calm restored. If not, the industrial action could escalate, deepening economic hardship and threatening the fragile stability of Africa’s largest economy.