The Federal Government has announced that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has agreed to suspend its strike action after two days of reconciliation talks with the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The closed-door meetings, held on September 29 and 30, 2025, were convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi. Senior government officials, security agencies, and representatives of organised labour were also in attendance.
Why PENGASSAN Went on Strike
In a communiqué issued at the end of the negotiations, Dingyadi revealed that the industrial action was triggered by the disengagement of over 800 workers at the Dangote Refinery.
According to PENGASSAN’s leadership, the directive to halt gas supply to the refinery and withdraw services was a direct response to the mass layoffs, which affected hundreds of their members.
Dangote Refinery’s Position
On its part, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery defended the decision, stating that the disengagement was part of an ongoing reorganization process aimed at restructuring the company.
- After marathon deliberations, both parties reached a compromise. The Minister announced that:
- Dangote Group will immediately begin the process of reabsorbing the disengaged staff into other companies within the conglomerate.
- The affected workers will retain their salaries and benefits without any loss of pay.
- No staff member will face victimisation for participating in the strike or for exercising their union rights.
Dr. Dingyadi further stressed that unionisation remains a fundamental right of Nigerian workers, protected by law, and urged employers to respect this provision.
He also disclosed that PENGASSAN had agreed to commence the process of calling off its strike in good faith.
