The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Wednesday, 1 October, 2025 announced the suspension its strike against Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals following a new agreement brokered by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo, who made the announcement while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, 1 October, 2025, said the decision was taken out of respect for the federal government.
Osifo, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the terms of the agreement, noting that it did not address the union’s primary demand, the immediate reinstatement of over 800 Nigerian workers allegedly sacked by the refinery.
Osifo warned that the union would not hesitate to resume the strike without notice if the Dangote management fails to honour its commitments under the agreement.
Osifo said, “We are not happy with the terms of the agreement because it did not capture our main demand of recalling the 800 sacked Nigerians. But out of respect for government institutions, for the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS); the Chief Reconciliator of the Federation, and ministers who worked tirelessly into the early hours of the morning to mediate, we decided to suspend the action.
“However, let me be clear: if Dangote fails to keep its part, we will resume immediately, without any warning.”
The union leader expressed deep reservations about the sincerity of the refinery management, saying PENGASSAN has “mutual suspicion” that Dangote will attempt to renege on the deal.
“We know that Dangote does not play by the rules or respect agreements. We believe and suspect that some of the promises extracted during the negotiations will not be honoured. But because we respect due process and institutions of government, we will give them the benefit of the doubt. Yet, any breach will be met with severe and immediate response,” Osifo added, just as it also dismissed claims that PENGASSAN was pushing for the reinstatement of the 800 sacked workers to secure check-off dues.
According to Osifo, the salaries of the affected workers are meagre compared to the earnings of PENGASSAN members in other multinational oil companies, making such accusations baseless.
“So we clearly ask, is it because of check-off dues that PENGASSAN went on strike? The salaries being paid to these 800 members, if you add them all together, are less than what 20 of our members earn in companies like Chevron, TotalEnergies, or ExxonMobil. Their check-off dues are not even up to the check-off dues of our least-paid members elsewhere. So why should we be chasing this because of dues?
“It is actually about the freedom of association and the welfare of our members, because when we enter organisations, we improve conditions of service, and that is why workers subscribe to us, ” Osifo said.
According to Osifo, PENGASSAN has a long record of defending workers’ rights without stifling the companies where its members operate, citing the example of Shell, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil, which have thrived despite having thousands of PENGASSAN members.
“At one time, Shell had over 10,000 of our members, and they invested more than $200 billion in Nigeria. Did we kill Shell? Instead, we assisted Shell, TotalEnergies, and ExxonMobil to grow. We are not out to kill Dangote Refinery, which has barely invested $20 billion. That narrative is false,” he said.
Osifo added that the oil and gas workforce has carried the burden of Nigeria’s economy for decades, providing over 90 percent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.
“We know who we are and what we stand for. We are patriots who love this country more than any single individual, and that is why, despite our reservations, we chose to suspend this strike in deference to government efforts,” Osifo added.
While thanking the government officials and agencies that intervened in the dispute, he reiterated PENGASSAN’s vigilance.
“We will be monitoring closely. Any slip, any breach, any part of this agreement that is not kept, we will not issue further notice. We will not give any warning. We will resume the suspended industrial action immediately. That is our resolution,” he warned.
Osifo noted that PENGASSAN’s struggle was not against progress but against injustice, and that the union will remain steadfast in defending the rights and welfare of its members, no matter whose interest is at stake.
