PENGASSAN Nationwide Strike Begins Over Dangote Refinery Mass Sack
The crisis between labour and the private sector has reached a flashpoint. In a dramatic escalation, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered a total Nationwide Strike, effective from Monday. This directive responds directly to the Dangote Refinery’s alleged mass sack of over 800 Nigerian workers. The union vehemently calls the action a grave violation of labour laws and an “affront” to Nigerian workers. Furthermore, PENGASSAN alleged the refinery replaced the sacked staff with “over 2,000 Indians.” This claim elevates the labour dispute into an issue of urgent national importance, justifying the union’s full-scale industrial action.
Union’s Hammer Drops: Phased Shutdown Strategy
The crisis, which had brewed for days, boiled over following an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, September 27, 2025. General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa signed a scorching circular. In it, PENGASSAN accused the refinery of purging staff simply for exercising their right to join the association.
The directive issued by PENGASSAN is comprehensive and designed for maximum disruption. The union phased the high-stakes shutdown as follows:
- Immediate Action (Sunday, September 28, 2025): Members in field locations received instructions to “withdraw services” starting at 06:00hrs. This move specifically targets control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel. Crucially, the order also targets the refinery’s operational lifeline: PENGASSAN directed members to “let off effectively immediately” all processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery.
- Total Nationwide Shutdown (Monday, September 29, 2025): The strike expands to a complete withdrawal of services across all PENGASSAN members in “all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies” starting at 00:01.
Choking the Refinery’s Supply Chain
This total shutdown is a clear strategy to choke the 650,000-barrel-per-day facility. The union mandated major International Oil Companies (IOCs) to “ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.”
PENGASSAN has made its terms unequivocally clear: the strike will persist until the sacked workers are reinstated. “An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” the circular declared, invoking a powerful rallying cry.
Dangote’s Defence: Reorganization, Not Union-Busting
This clash marks the latest salvo in an ongoing, bitter row over labour rights and safety standards. The refinery has also recently faced industrial action from the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
The immediate spark for the PENGASSAN action was a September 24, 2025, letter from the refinery ordering the sacking of staff. While the union puts the number at roughly 800 and cites unionizing efforts as the reason, the refinery’s management tells a different story.
In a swift counter-response, the Dangote refinery denied any mass sacking was underway. Management insisted the sackings were part of a larger internal reorganisation designed to improve operational efficiency. Furthermore, they pushed back against the nationalistic narrative, maintaining that the majority of the workforce remains Nigerian.
However, for PENGASSAN, the explanation rings hollow. For the union, the dismissals represent a clear, deliberate violation of workers’ fundamental rights. They have appealed to labour unions, relevant government agencies, and other stakeholders for immediate intervention.
The coming days will be critical. If PENGASSAN’s directive is fully observed, the disruptions will extend far beyond the refinery’s gates, risking the stability of the entire Nigerian energy sector. The battle lines have been drawn, and the nation awaits the first tremors of this defining labour standoff.
