The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Monday began a nationwide strike that has crippled operations at key oil and gas regulatory bodies, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
The strike, declared after a weekend resolution of the union’s National Executive Council, saw members across the country withdraw their services, effectively shutting down agencies at the heart of Nigeria’s petroleum industry.
Regulatory Agencies on Lockdown
At the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the gates were locked, with several employees stranded outside. Security operatives confirmed that staff were barred from entering in compliance with the union’s directive.
The situation was similar at the NMDPRA headquarters in the Central Business District, where all activities were halted. PENGASSAN’s branch chairman in the agency, Tony Iziogba, told reporters that there was “100 per cent compliance” across the board, extending to NNPC Ltd. offices and other critical institutions nationwide.
Root of the Crisis
The industrial action was triggered by the alleged dismissal of about 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, who the union said were sacked for joining PENGASSAN. According to the union, the refinery violated Nigerian labour laws and International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions by replacing the affected workers with foreigners.
In a strongly worded resolution signed by PENGASSAN’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, the union ordered members to halt all crude oil and gas supplies to the Dangote Refinery.
“All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately. All IOC (International Oil Companies) branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals,” the resolution stated.
Economic Implications
The strike has already raised fears of a looming fuel scarcity and power crisis, as NNPC remains the sole importer of petrol, while NMDPRA regulates supply and distribution. Similarly, NUPRC oversees crude production and gas supply obligations to power plants.
Oil marketers have warned that PENGASSAN’s directive could choke domestic supply, trigger fuel queues, and drive up pump prices, as disruption of crude and gas supplies threatens to paralyse the downstream sector.
Government Steps In
In response to the escalating crisis, the Minister of Labour has convened an emergency meeting scheduled for Monday to mediate between the union and the Dangote Group. Stakeholders say the outcome of the talks will determine whether normalcy can be restored quickly or whether Nigeria faces deeper turmoil in its already fragile energy sector.
For now, operations across oil and gas agencies remain completely grounded, with the standoff between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery casting a shadow over the stability of the country’s petroleum supply chain.
