Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association (PENGASSAN) blocked the NNPCL headquarters in Abuja on Monday. The protest followed orders from the union’s national executive committee for a nationwide industrial action.
Union members demonstrated against the alleged unlawful termination of over 800 Nigerian workers by Dangote Refinery’s management. The union accused the refinery of replacing dismissed Nigerian employees with over 2,000 Indians, describing the action as an affront.
At the NNPCL and oil and gas regulators’ offices, members sang solidarity songs. Their colleagues at the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) also blocked their facility’s gate.
In a circular signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, the union said the sack violated Nigeria’s labor laws, the Constitution, and ILO conventions.
PENGASSAN ordered a nationwide shutdown of all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies starting Monday. It also directed members in field locations to stop work on Sunday.
The circular read: “All PENGASSAN members working across field locations are to withdraw services effective 06:00hrs on Sunday, 28 September 2025, and commence 24-hour prayers. This includes all control room operations, panel operations, and outfield personnel.
“All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies should withdraw all services effective 00:01 on Monday, 29th of September, 2025.”
