The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members across the country to withdraw their services immediately in response to the Dangote Refinery’s alleged mass firing of Nigerian workers.
The directive was contained in a circular issued after an emergency National Executive Council meeting held on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and signed by the union’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa.
PENGASSAN accused the refinery of breaching Nigerian labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions by sacking workers for joining the union. It also alleged that over 2,000 Indian nationals had replaced the dismissed staff, describing the action as “an affront to all Nigerian workers.”
The union instructed members in field locations to down tools from Sunday and announced a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies starting Monday.
“All PENGASSAN members working in field locations are to withdraw services from 06:00 hours on Sunday, September 28, 2025, and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel,” the circular stated.
“All members across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies must withdraw services from 00:01 on Monday, September 29, 2025.”
PENGASSAN warned that no intervention would be permitted at field sites except where personnel or asset safety was at risk, and any such clearance must come from the National Secretariat.
The union further directed that all processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery be halted immediately and instructed all International Oil Company (IOC) branches to reduce gas production and supply to the refinery and its petrochemical plants.
The circular also announced 24-hour prayer vigils and called for government intervention, vowing that the strike would continue until the sacked workers were reinstated.
“An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” the union declared.
The development marks a further escalation in the ongoing labour dispute between Dangote Refinery and oil workers’ unions, as the refinery has also recently clashed with NUPENG over labour rights and safety standards.
