By Oke Peter
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has shut down operations at the Dangote Refinery and its fertiliser plants in protest over the alleged unlawful termination of Nigerian workers.
The shutdown, which began early Sunday, affected several sections of the facility. According to PENGASSAN’s update, the refinery has been completely shut down, while the fertiliser plant’s Train Two is also fully offline. Train One of the fertiliser plant continues to operate at 60% capacity, and the diesel plant remains functional for now.
This industrial action follows a nationwide directive by PENGASSAN for its members to withdraw services starting from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025. Members working in critical field operations — including control rooms, panel operations, and outfield services — were instructed to begin the withdrawal of services and commence 24-hour prayer sessions as of 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2025.
The decision stems from an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, where PENGASSAN condemned the alleged sacking of over 800 Nigerian workers for unionizing. The union described the move as a direct violation of Nigerian labour laws, the country’s constitution, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
PENGASSAN General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the Dangote Refinery of exploiting Nigerian workers and replacing them with approximately 2,000 foreign nationals, primarily from India. He criticized what he called “disloyalty” to Nigeria, noting that Dangote Group has benefited from substantial government incentives and public resources.
In response, PENGASSAN has resolved to halt all processes related to gas and crude oil supply to the refinery with immediate effect. The union has also urged branches operating under International Oil Companies (IOCs) to begin scaling down gas production and cease supply to Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals.
