The order also extended to PENGASSAN members in TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and other upstream and midstream operators, mandating them to cut supplies immediately.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members to immediately cut off gas and crude oil supplies to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, escalating tensions between the union and management.
In a directive issued and signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, PENGASSAN accused the refinery of victimising unionised workers and engaging in “misinformation and propaganda” rather than addressing the union’s concerns.
The directive instructed PENGASSAN’s branch chairmen, particularly those in the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), to halt gas supply to the refinery without delay.
“All crude oil supply valves to the refinery must be shut, and all loading operations for vessels headed there suspended,” the letter read.
The order also extended to PENGASSAN members in TotalEnergies, Chevron, Seplat, Shell Nigeria Gas, Oando, and other upstream and midstream operators, mandating them to cut supplies immediately.
According to the union, the move was necessary to defend the constitutional rights of workers to freely unionise.
The Dangote Group has dismissed claims of widespread layoffs, insisting that only a few workers were disengaged to protect refinery operations from potential sabotage.
The company maintained that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain employed at the refinery and that staff are free to decide whether or not to join a union.
“We have not embarked on mass layoffs. Only a small number of employees were affected, and workers are not under any pressure regarding union membership,” the company said in a statement.
The standoff raises concerns about the potential impact on operations at Africa’s largest refinery, which has been described as a game-changer for Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
Industry analysts warn that a prolonged shutdown of supply lines could affect not only the refinery’s production schedule but also broader energy market stability.
