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By Myke Agunwa
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has announced a nationwide strike starting Monday, September 29, 2025, to protest the recent mass layoffs at Dangote Refinery.
Aliko Dangote’s $20 billion refinery has faced criticism after mass layoffs of an undisclosed number of workers. The company has been accused of poor worker welfare, unfair dismissals, and ignoring labor laws. The recent layoffs, affecting both junior and senior staff, sparked outrage among workers.
The decision was made during the Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Saturday, according to a statement issued afterward.
PENGASSAN instructed its members nationwide, including control room operators, panel staff, and field personnel, to withdraw their services from 12:01 a.m. on Monday. Members have also been encouraged to begin a continuous prayer vigil starting Sunday, September 28, seeking divine intervention to urge authorities to “rein in Dangote and his co-travelers on the need to obey Nigeria’s law.”
The union stressed that the industrial action would be total, warning that no field operations should be conducted unless worker or asset safety is at risk—and even then, only with approval from the National Secretariat.
“All processes that involve gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately,” the statement read. It further directed international oil company branches to reduce gas production and suspend supply to the refinery and its petrochemicals unit.
Reaffirming its position, PENGASSAN stated: “No man is bigger than our country. An injury to one is an injury to all.”