The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly condemned the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) directive to halt crude oil and gas supply to the refinery, describing it as “lawless, reckless, and criminal”.
The directive, issued on September 26, 2025, instructs PENGASSAN members to cut off gas supply to the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) and shut all crude oil supply valves to the refinery.
The refinery argues that PENGASSAN has no legal authority to instruct its members to disrupt contractual agreements between the refinery and its vendors. “Those supply contracts were not entered into with PENGASSAN; they were entered into with third-party vendors and suppliers. PENGASSAN has no right whatsoever to disrupt or interfere with the performance of those contracts,” the refinery stated.
PENGASSAN’s directive is in response to the refinery’s alleged disengagement of unionized workers, with the union accusing the refinery’s management of spreading “misinformation and propaganda” instead of addressing labor concerns. The refinery maintains that it upholds internationally accepted labor principles, including the right of every worker to freely decide whether or not to join a union.
The refinery warned that enforcing the directive would disrupt the supply of essential petroleum products, affecting millions of Nigerians and damaging investor confidence in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. “This amounts to criminal conduct intended to disrupt or interfere with legally binding supply contracts. PENGASSAN has no right or authority to interfere in these matters,” the refinery said.
Dangote Refinery is one of the largest contributors to government revenue, and any interruption in operations would threaten federal and state income. The refinery urged the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene immediately, warning that allowing the union’s directive to stand would have nationwide repercussions.
The refinery emphasized that Nigeria is a country governed by laws, and mob-style directives risk plunging the nation into anarchy. “We encourage and nudge PENGASSAN to live up to the commitment in its Press Release of 26 September 2025 to take all necessary legal actions, not lawless directives, against Dangote Refinery,” it said.
The dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN highlights the complexities of labor relations in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, with the refinery insisting that its actions are necessary to prevent sabotage and ensure operational efficiency.
