PENGASSAN, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, has withdrawn their services, halting oil production and targeting Dangote Refinery.
Nigeria’s vital oil and gas sector is set to grind to a halt after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) declared a nationwide strike, escalating its confrontation with the Dangote Refinery into a full-blown crisis.
The strike, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, September 29, will see union members withdraw services across the country, effectively shutting down production, supply, and administrative operations. The action follows weeks of unresolved disputes with the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
In a statement, PENGASSAN’s National Executive Council said the move was necessary to compel compliance with labor and industry regulations. “No man is bigger than our country. An injury to one is an injury to all,” the resolution declared.
Read Also: Fresh Fuel Scarcity Looms As PENGASSAN Issues Fresh Threats
The union’s strike will roll out in phases, beginning with the withdrawal of services at field locations by 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28. This step halts critical control room, panel, and outfield operations, effectively stopping production and monitoring activities at major facilities.
From early Monday, the action expands nationwide, affecting every segment of Nigeria’s oil and gas value chain — including international oil companies, regulatory agencies, and service providers. The union has warned that no intervention will be permitted at affected sites unless there is an immediate risk to workers or critical infrastructure.
At the heart of the dispute is the union’s demand for accountability from the Dangote Refinery. PENGASSAN has ordered all branches to cut off crude oil and gas supply to the facility and its petrochemicals plant. International Oil Companies (IOCs) have been instructed to scale down gas production and halt supplies to the refinery “with immediate effect.”
In an unusual step, the NEC resolution also called for members to hold continuous prayer vigils at work sites, urging divine intervention for “courage to those in authority to rein in Dangote and his co-travelers on the need to obey the laws of our country.”
The strike threatens to disrupt fuel availability in Africa’s largest economy, where oil revenues account for the bulk of government income and foreign exchange.
