Dangote Refinery sack triggers nationwide strike as PENGASSAN halts operations, protesting dismissal of 800 workers and replacement with foreign staff

In a circular signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa following an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, the union alleged that the refinery violated Nigeria’s labour laws, the Constitution, and International Labour Organisation conventions.

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It claimed the workers were dismissed for joining the association and replaced with “over 2,000 Indians,” calling the move “an affront to all workers in Nigeria.”

To press its demands, PENGASSAN ordered its members across the country to down tools. From Sunday, field personnel were instructed to halt services, including control room and panel operations, while a total nationwide shutdown across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies was scheduled to begin from Monday.

The union also directed international oil companies to cut crude and gas supply to the refinery and declared 24-hour prayer vigils, insisting the strike would continue until the dismissed workers were reinstated.

“An injury to one is an injury to all. No man is bigger than our country,” the circular stated.

The management of Dangote Refinery, however, defended its decision, saying the move followed allegations of sabotage that threatened the operational safety of the 650,000-barrel-per-day plant.

It stressed that the dismissals were part of an internal reorganisation to improve efficiency, maintaining that the majority of its workforce remained Nigerian.

This confrontation comes amid ongoing disputes between the refinery and labour unions over rights and safety standards.

PENGASSAN has appealed for government intervention, warning that the standoff is of “urgent national importance” and could destabilise downstream operations linked to the refinery.