PENGASSAN Declares Nationwide Strike Over Dangote Layoffs

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Nigerian petroleum sector plunged into immediate crisis on Sunday, September 28, 2025, as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) announced the commencement of a full-scale nationwide strike. The industrial action is a direct response to what the union alleges is the illegal mass dismissal of Nigerian employees by the Dangote Refinery, reportedly in favor of thousands of foreign nationals.

Cablenews24 reports that the directive, disseminated in a circular to union members across the country, demands an immediate withdrawal of services from all oilfields, associated agencies, and institutional offices connected to the petroleum industry. The union specifically pinpointed the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemical facilities as the epicenter of the dispute, ordering members to cease all crude oil and gas supply operations to the complex.

The timeline for the industrial action is aggressive. PENGASSAN members in field locations were instructed to cease work by 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, with a complete, nationwide shutdown scheduled to take effect at one minute past midnight on Monday, September 29, 2025. The union has made the reinstatement of the dismissed Nigerian staff an absolute condition for suspending the industrial action.

PENGASSAN’s outrage centers on the scale of the alleged dismissals, claiming that over 800 Nigerian workers were let go, with reports suggesting they have been replaced by more than 2,000 expatriate workers, predominantly cited as Indian nationals.

“This mass sack and substitution of Nigerians with expatriates is a direct assault on our sovereignty and the welfare of our members. It is unacceptable and will be resisted with all lawful means,” PENGASSAN said in its directive.

The implications of a prolonged strike by PENGASSAN, a vital body controlling senior staffing in the critical upstream and midstream sectors, cannot be overstated. Energy analysts are already issuing stark warnings that a total cessation of crude supply to major facilities, especially the massive new Dangote Refinery, could rapidly escalate into a nationwide energy crisis. Thermal power plants, which are heavily dependent on the gas supplied via these networks, are likely to face immediate fuel shortages, potentially leading to widespread and prolonged blackouts across Nigeria.

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The refinery’s alleged actions, according to the union leadership, represent a grave violation of established Nigerian labor laws, the 1999 Constitution, and international conventions regarding local employment quotas and workers’ rights within strategic national assets. PENGASSAN characterized the move as “a direct assault on our sovereignty and the welfare of our members.”

While government officials have remained conspicuously silent amidst the escalating tension, observers fear this labor dispute could significantly destabilize an already fragile economy grappling with persistent inflation, fluctuating fuel prices, and existing energy deficits.

PENGASSAN has clarified that the strike will be comprehensive, with no suspension planned except for essential safety interventions required to protect personnel and critical infrastructure—should such emergencies arise. The union has urgently appealed to the Federal Government and relevant regulatory bodies to intervene swiftly to mediate the dispute and prevent what could become one of the most significant disruptions to Nigeria’s oil and gas sector in recent history.

As of Sunday evening, reports indicated that the initial shutdown directives were being complied with, signaling the serious intent behind PENGASSAN’s declaration and setting the stage for a tense week ahead for Nigeria’s energy security. The focus now shifts to the government’s response and whether dialogue can avert a full-blown industrial confrontation that threatens to bring the nation’s fuel and power supply to a near standstill.

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