By Olatunbosun Obafemi
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members across the country to down tools in protest against the alleged mass dismissal of Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery.
The directive followed an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, with details contained in a circular signed by the union’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of violating Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions by allegedly sacking workers who joined the union. It further claimed the dismissed employees were replaced with “over 2,000 Indians,” describing the move as “an affront to all Nigerian workers.”
In its resolution, the union ordered members in field locations to withdraw services from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, while a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies will commence from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, September 29.
“All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately,” the statement read. “No intervention will be entertained except where safety of personnel and assets is at risk, subject to clearance from the National Secretariat.”
PENGASSAN also announced 24-hour prayer vigils during the strike and called for urgent government intervention, insisting that industrial action would continue until the dismissed workers were reinstated.
The circular closed with the warning: “An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country.”
The development comes amid ongoing disputes between Dangote Refinery and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over labour rights and safety standards.
