President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has appealed for calm and patriotic reflection in the ongoing industrial dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, urging both parties to act in the nation’s best interest.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu emphasized the need to protect strategic national investments while preserving industrial harmony.
“Aliko Dangote is not just an individual—he is an institution,” Tinubu said. “He chose to invest massively in Nigeria when he could have gone elsewhere. We owe it to future generations to protect, promote, and preserve this investment.”
He cautioned both labour unions and private sector employers to approach disputes with “caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism,” highlighting the broader implications for the economy and national development.
“Nigeria is bigger than PENGASSAN or any individual, and the stability of such a massive project cannot be compromised. This refinery was financed through equity and loans from both local and international lenders. It must operate effectively to meet its financial obligations,” the President stated.
Tinubu also warned against labour actions that could paralyze vital sectors, stressing that trade unions should not hold the nation to ransom during disagreements.
The call for restraint follows recent tensions between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery over the dismissal of over 800 workers, who were reportedly union members. The union had ordered a shutdown of gas supply and withdrawal of services to the refinery in protest.
In response, Dangote Refinery maintained that the disengagement was part of a company-wide restructuring exercise, not a targeted anti-labour move.
The federal government has since intervened, brokering a temporary truce between both parties. However, the dispute has sparked wider debates on workers’ rights, corporate governance, and the role of unions in newly emerging mega-industrial projects.
The Dangote Refinery — Africa’s largest — is considered a critical asset in Nigeria’s push toward energy self-sufficiency, and the Tinubu administration is keen to prevent further disruption to its operations.
NAN
