PENGASSAN Calls Off Strike as Dangote Refinery Agrees to Reinstate Sacked Workers
Story: written by Okafor Joseph October 1,2025
Nigeria’s oil and gas sector has witnessed a major breakthrough as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) suspended its strike following an agreement with Dangote Refinery to reinstate dismissed workers.
The strike, which began on Sunday, saw union members cut gas and crude oil supply to Dangote Refinery in protest against the dismissal of employees who joined PENGASSAN.
After two days of negotiations involving the Federal Government, Dangote Refinery management, and PENGASSAN, both sides reached a resolution on Tuesday.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, emphasized during the talks that Nigerian law guarantees workers’ rights to unionize, and that such rights must be respected.
A joint communique outlined key agreements:
- Reinstatement of workers: Dangote Group will immediately reabsorb all affected staff into other companies within the group without any loss of pay.
- End to victimisation: Both parties agreed that no worker will suffer discrimination or punishment for their role in the dispute.
- Suspension of strike: PENGASSAN confirmed it will commence the process of officially calling off the industrial action.
The resolution marks an end to the tense standoff that threatened crude oil and gas supply in the country.
