Operations at Nigeria’s leading oil, gas and regulatory agencies came to a standstill Monday as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) commenced a countrywide strike. The walkout impacted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Midstream & Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (MDPRA).
Across Abuja, staff were locked out of the NUPRC headquarters as the main gate was sealed, preventing entry in line with strike directives. A similar shutdown was seen at the MDPRA offices in the Central Business District, where all operations were suspended.
At the MDPRA, PENGASSAN’s Chairman Tony Iziogba stated that the union had secured “100 percent compliance” with the order, a measure also enforced at the NNPC and other relevant agencies.
PENGASSAN said the strike was triggered by the alleged wrongful dismissal of around 800 workers from Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The union accused the refinery of breaching both national labour statutes and International Labour Organization conventions by replacing dismissed employees with foreign workers.
The union further ordered members to stop supplying crude oil and gas to Dangote’s refinery—actions which may ripple into fuel shortages and price hikes.
The strike began at 12:01 am Monday for office staff, while field workers were instructed to down tools from 6 am Sunday and engage in continuous prayer vigils.
Worries are mounting over possible disruptions to fuel distribution and power supply, since the NNPC is the sole importer of petrol, and NUPRC regulates crude production and gas supply obligations.
In response, the Federal Government scheduled an emergency meeting with the Minister of Labour on Monday to explore whether negotiation can defuse the crisis or if matters will deepen further.
