By Obinna Uballa
Labour leaders, civil society voices and political actors have called on Dangote Petroleum Refinery to reinstate more than 800 Nigerian workers allegedly dismissed for joining trade unions, warning that the company’s stance risks plunging the country into an industrial crisis with dire economic consequences.
The controversy erupted after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) accused the refinery of mass sacking in violation of labour laws and international conventions.
The union claims the dismissed workers were replaced by expatriates, mostly Indians, sparking outrage among organised labour and rights advocates.
On Monday, former Kaduna lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani described the move as a violation of constitutional rights to free association and an affront to industrial peace. Writing on his official X handle, Sani urged Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and owner of the refinery, to rescind the dismissals and respect workers’ right to unionise.
“Dangote should recall the workers sacked because of their decision to join their trade unions. PENGASSAN should suspend their decision to cut off gas supply to the Dangote Refinery,” he cautioned, stressing that the facility remains a strategic national asset that must be run within the framework of Nigeria’s laws.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) also weighed in, demanding not only the recall of the dismissed workers but also a public apology from the refinery’s management.
TUC Secretary-General Nuhu Toro, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, accused the company of trampling on workers’ rights and breaching an earlier agreement that no employee would be victimised for joining a union.
“We demand the reversal of the arbitrary dismissal of over 800 workers by Dangote. If that is done, the next thing we demand is a public apology, with an assurance that such won’t be repeated against the union in the future,” Toro said.
He criticised Dangote for avoiding the “substantial matter” of unionisation, instead hiding under claims of sabotage. According to him, the real issue is the constitutional right of Nigerian workers to freely associate.
“Unionisation is a right, and workers in Dangote have the right to belong to a union of their choice. For Dangote to react otherwise is nothing but oppression,” Toro argued. He accused the company of extending preferential treatment to Indian expatriates while undermining the rights of Nigerian employees.
PENGASSAN strike escalates
The fallout has been swift. Over the weekend, PENGASSAN declared a nationwide strike, directing members in oil companies, regulatory agencies and field locations to withdraw services. The union also ordered an immediate halt to gas and crude supply to the Dangote Refinery, threatening fuel availability across the country.
General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa said the industrial action would continue until the dismissed members are recalled. “Union rights are not negotiable. The refinery cannot victimize our members with impunity,” he said.
The action has raised fears of a major supply disruption. Aviation fuel, petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas, products the Dangote facility was meant to supply in large quantities, may soon become scarce, worsening inflation and power shortages.
Major oil marketers under the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) warned that the dispute could cripple distribution networks and expose up to 150 million Nigerians to acute shortages.
IPMAN spokesperson Chinedu Ukadike cautioned that disruptions in crude and gas supply would trigger fuel price hikes, erode investor confidence and worsen electricity supply. “Unless the federal government intervenes quickly, the crisis could spiral into unnecessary galloping inflation,” he said.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has also urged dialogue, while consumer groups accused PENGASSAN of risking hardship for millions of Nigerians by weaponising fuel scarcity.
Dangote hits back
Dangote Refinery, in a strongly worded response, denied the accusations of anti-union victimisation. The company said dismissals were linked to safety and efficiency concerns, not union activity, and noted that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the facility.
It described PENGASSAN’s strike order as “reckless, lawless and dangerous,” accusing the union of long-standing sabotage of reforms in Nigeria’s oil sector. The company insisted it was being unfairly targeted despite its massive contributions to national development.
“PENGASSAN is weaponising hardship against 230 million Nigerians in the name of unionism,” the refinery declared.
Federal government intervenes
With tensions escalating, the federal government on Monday convened an emergency meeting in Abuja to prevent a full-blown industrial crisis. Labour Minister Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi appealed to both sides to embrace dialogue, warning that the standoff could inflict heavy revenue losses and deepen public suffering.
