Efforts to end the ongoing industrial action by oil workers hit a brick wall late Monday as negotiations between the Federal Government, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), and the Dangote Group ended without resolution.
The meeting, which dragged on for over nine hours in Abuja, was aimed at resolving tensions stemming from the controversial dismissal of more than 800 workers at the Dangote Refinery — a move that has sparked widespread outrage within the oil and gas sector.
Speaking to journalists in the early hours of Tuesday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Dingyadi, acknowledged that while progress had been made, two critical points remained unresolved.
> “The core issues we are dealing with are the reinstatement of the dismissed staff and the question of unionisation rights,” Dingyadi explained. “We’re hopeful that when we reconvene by 2 p.m. today, we can make further headway.”
But the mood was less optimistic from the labour side.
PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, made it clear that no meaningful breakthrough had been achieved. According to him, the association’s primary demand—the reinstatement of the affected workers—remains unmet.
> “Unfortunately, we’ve made no headway,” Osifo told reporters. “These are not just numbers; these are people with families, with careers on the line. All we’re asking is for them to be brought back.”
He also raised concerns over what he described as a “damaging narrative” being pushed by the refinery’s management.
> “Labelling these workers as saboteurs has serious consequences. No other company will want to touch them after that. Their entire professional futures are at risk,” he added.
Osifo confirmed that the Dangote Group had admitted to the mass termination, and that the letters of dismissal were now public knowledge.
> “They can’t deny it—these letters are already in the media. It’s not a matter of he said, she said. They signed off on those terminations,” he said.
The strike, he affirmed, would continue indefinitely until the workers are reinstated.
> “Our position is simple. Reinstate them, and we’ll call off the strike immediately. Until that happens, our action continues,” Osifo insisted.
Also present at the meeting was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, who warned of the economic toll the ongoing strike could take.
> “We need to mitigate the impact of this disruption,” Edun said. “Crude production is at stake, gas supply is affected. The economy can’t afford a break in momentum.”
Despite the stalemate, Edun said the government remained optimistic that a solution would be reached soon.
> “We want this behind us quickly, so that we can stay focused on economic recovery and stability,” he added.
As of Tuesday morning, both parties are expected to reconvene in another effort to resolve the crisis, but with tensions still high and demands unmet, the path to resolution remains uncertain.
