The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members to halt gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery following a dispute over the alleged dismissal and victimisation of unionised workers.
The directive, issued by the union’s National Secretariat, accused the refinery’s management of punishing workers for exercising their right to join a union. PENGASSAN said instead of addressing workers’ concerns through dialogue, the company resorted to tactics that it described as misleading.
As part of the action, the Nigeria Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) unit was instructed to stop gas deliveries to the facility, while crude supply valves are to be closed and vessel loading activities suspended. Branch leaders were told to ensure compliance and give reports on the progress of the directive.
The conflict between the refinery and the union has been ongoing, with PENGASSAN earlier alleging that management engaged in unfair labour practices. In a petition signed by the Dangote Refinery Branch leadership, the union accused the company of forcing transfers on union members, withholding protective equipment, offering poor welfare conditions, and creating wage gaps between Nigerian staff and expatriates. The petition further claimed that Nigerian engineers earn far less than their counterparts in other oil and gas firms, while expatriates dominate most management positions and receive far higher pay.
PENGASSAN argued that such practices violate Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants workers the right to freedom of association, as well as the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act of 2010.
In response, Dangote Refinery previously denied allegations of mass sack or discrimination against Nigerian workers. The company insisted that over 3,000 Nigerians are currently employed and that expatriates were only hired to provide technical expertise and transfer knowledge. It explained that staff changes were part of a restructuring process aimed at improving operations.
Despite the refinery’s defence, PENGASSAN has maintained its position and called for urgent intervention by government and regulators. The union warned that failure to resolve the matter could disrupt the oil and gas sector and pose risks to the country’s energy supply.