Our Reporter, Abuja
The Federal Government said it has successfully brokered peace between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, leading to the resolution of a strike action that began on September 29, 2025.
Following the truce, PENGASSAN has agreed to commence the process of calling off its nationwide strike, while Dangote Refinery pledged to redeploy the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group without any loss of pay.
The agreement was contained in a communique issued after a high-level conciliation meeting convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi. The meeting, which opened at the Labour Ministry on Monday, September 29, and continued at the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) on Tuesday, September 30, brought together key stakeholders in the oil and gas sector and top government officials.
In the communique signed by Minister Dingyadi, the Federal Government emphasized that workers’ right to unionisation is protected under Nigerian law and must be respected. It was further agreed that no employee would be victimised for their role in the standoff between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery.
“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the management of Dangote shall immediately start the process of taking the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay,” the communique read in part.
The government intervention came after PENGASSAN issued directives to halt gas supply to Dangote Refinery and withdraw services nationwide in protest against the termination of over 800 of its members. While the union insisted the action was targeted at its members, the refinery’s management explained that the layoffs were part of an ongoing reorganisation exercise.
Those present at the meeting included the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS); Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA); representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL); Chief Executives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC); as well as the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Petroleum Resources and Labour.
Both PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery signed the agreement in good faith, with the Federal Government urging all parties to remain committed to industrial harmony in the nation’s oil and gas sector.
