The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened a general strike following allegations that the Dangote Refinery unlawfully laid off more than 800 Nigerian workers for union membership.
In a release after an emergency National Executive Council meeting on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and by General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the association directed members to withdraw their services from Sunday, September 28. The directive, it added, would result in the total shutdown of operations in every oil and gas office, companies, institutions, and agencies from Monday, September 29.
“All PENGASSAN members on field locations are to withdraw services from 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28 September 2025, and begin 24-hour prayers. All control room work, panel work, and outfield staff are included,” the circular stated.
The union protested that the refinery rehired the fired workers with “over 2,000 Indians,” terming the move “an insult to Nigerian workers.” It also directed all crude oil and gas supply processes to Dangote Refinery to be suspended, directing IOCs to reduce production linked to the facility.
The union also released prayer vigils and called on the government to intervene, emphasizing that the strike would go on till the sacked workers were brought back to work. “An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” the NEC stated.
The running of the refinery, however, denied carrying out mass layoffs. Through a statement, the company claimed it was carrying out an internal restructuring in order to improve efficiency, saying that “the bulk of its staff were Nigerian.”
The dispute stokes an already tense relationship between Dangote Refinery and oil workers’ unions, with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) also at odds with the company over labour rights and standards.