PENGASSAN directs members to begin nationwide strike over mass sack of members by Dangote Refinery

…Total shutdown of all offices, facilities others, from 12:01 a.m. on Monday

…IOCs to ramp down gas production linked to Dangote facility

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members across the country to withdraw their services following the alleged mass sack of over 800 Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery.

In a circular issued on Saturday, September 27, 2025, after an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, the union accused the refinery of unfair labour practices, including replacing the sacked Nigerians with over 2,000 foreign workers.

The circular, signed by PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, described the action as “an affront to Nigerian workers, a violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, labour laws, and international labour standards.”

PENGASSAN said the decision to sack its members for joining the union was a deliberate attack on workers’ rights. “No man or company, no matter how highly placed, is above the law. The sack of Nigerians and their replacement with foreigners is disloyal to a country that has given the refinery unprecedented incentives at taxpayers’ expense,” the statement read.

To press home its demands, the NEC directed: “All PENGASSAN members in field locations to down tools from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2025.

“A total nationwide shutdown by all members across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025.

“Immediate suspension of all crude oil and gas supply to Dangote Refinery and its petrochemical operations.

International Oil Companies (IOCs) to ramp down gas production linked to the refinery.”

The union also declared that members would embark on 24-hour prayers, calling on authorities to intervene and compel Dangote Refinery to respect Nigeria’s labour laws.

PENGASSAN vowed that the strike will continue until the sacked workers are reinstated, warning: “An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country.”

However, Dangote Refinery sources dismissed the union’s claims as exaggerated. The management insisted that no mass sack had taken place, explaining that the company was only undergoing an internal reorganization to enhance efficiency. The refinery maintained that the majority of its workforce remained Nigerian, contrary to PENGASSAN’s allegations.

PENGASSAN had also earlier accused the management of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals of transferring its members, including Nigerian engineers, to other subsidiaries in an attempt to weaken its presence at the facility.

In a petition by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Branch, addressed to the Lagos Zonal Chairman of PENGASSAN, the union alleged that Nigerian engineers who joined the association had been redeployed to Dangote Sugar and other business units under circumstances it considers punitive.

According to the petition by Branch Chairman, Abdulfatai Muhammed, and Secretary, Eseoghene Choice, the action contradicts Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees workers’ right to freedom of association.

The union also raised concerns about working conditions at the refinery, alleging that many engineers lack adequate personal protective equipment, PPE, and are exposed to hazardous environments without hazard allowance, health insurance, or compensation.

On remuneration, PENGASSAN claimed that Nigerian engineers at the refinery are among the lowest paid in the midstream and upstream oil and gas sector, despite the sensitive nature of their jobs. It further claimed that expatriates occupy the majority of top management positions at the refinery, contrary to the intent of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.

The petition further criticised the refinery’s recent decision to sell petrol exclusively in dollars, warning that the policy could weaken the naira, fuel inflation, and affect Nigeria’s energy security.

“The consistent pattern of conduct reflects victimisation of Nigerian workers, breach of the constitution, and policies that undermine the national interest,” the union stated.

The association called on the leadership of PENGASSAN, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and relevant government agencies to urgently intervene, describing the matter as one of “urgent national importance.”

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