Dangote Refinery
Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered an immediate halt to crude oil and gas supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, escalating a labour dispute that has been brewing between the union and the refinery’s management.
In a directive issued on Friday, PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the refinery of unfair labour practices, including the dismissal of unionised workers and an unwillingness to engage in sincere dialogue.
> “Instead of engaging meaningfully with the union, the refinery has embarked on a mission of misinformation and propaganda,” Okugbawa stated.
The union directed all its branch chairmen—particularly at the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC)—to enforce the shutdown of all gas and crude oil deliveries to the refinery without delay. This includes halting loading operations for any vessels destined for the facility.
The instruction extends to key players in the upstream and midstream sectors, including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and NGIC, where PENGASSAN has significant representation.
According to the union, the move aims to protect workers’ constitutional right to freely associate and join labour unions.
The Dangote Group, in response, had earlier dismissed allegations of mass layoffs, stating that only a limited number of employees were affected in a bid to safeguard refinery operations from what it described as internal sabotage.
In a statement, the company reaffirmed that:
> “Over 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the refinery, and employees are free to join any union of their choice.”
Background to the Dispute
The standoff traces back to rising tensions over efforts by workers at the Dangote Refinery to unionise under PENGASSAN. The union alleges that employees who attempted to form or join the union were targeted and laid off—a claim the Dangote Group denies.
While the company maintains that operational integrity was its top priority, PENGASSAN views the terminations as retaliatory and contrary to Nigeria’s labour laws. The current supply cut directive represents the union’s most forceful action yet in defense of its members’ rights.
As of now, it remains unclear how the standoff will impact operations at Africa’s largest refinery, but industry observers warn that prolonged disruption could have ripple effects across Nigeria’s energy sector.
