 has announced a nationwide strike following){kind=link}
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced a nationwide strike following the mass dismissal of workers at the Dangote Refinery.
In a statement issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, the union directed its members nationwide to down tools beginning Monday, September 29, 2025.
The directive, it said, covers all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies where its members are employed.
Field workers, however, have been instructed to stop operations earlier, starting at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, while also commencing a continuous prayer vigil.
According to PENGASSAN, the prayers are intended to seek divine intervention for Nigeria’s leaders to ensure compliance with labour laws by Dangote Refinery and its partners.
“All PENGASSAN members across field locations must withdraw their services from Sunday morning and begin 24-hour prayers,” the union’s communiqué stated.
“From Monday, September 29, all members nationwide are to cease work until further notice.”
The association stressed that all activities linked to gas and crude supply to the Dangote Refinery should be suspended immediately.
International Oil Company (IOC) branches were also instructed to cut down production linked to the refinery and its petrochemical facilities.
While making clear that the strike will be total, the union noted that exceptions may only be made in cases where the safety of personnel or assets is at risk.
In such situations, clearance must be obtained directly from PENGASSAN’s National Secretariat.
Union leaders accused Dangote Refinery of illegally sacking more than 800 workers for allegedly joining PENGASSAN.
They argued that the action undermines workers’ rights and violates established labour laws.
“No individual or company can be above the laws of Nigeria,” a senior PENGASSAN official remarked.
“What has been done to our members at Dangote Refinery is unacceptable, and this strike is a clear message that an injury to one is indeed an injury to all.”
The standoff raises fresh concerns about Nigeria’s already fragile energy supply chain, with fears that prolonged industrial action could disrupt production and distribution across the oil and gas sector.