The Federal Government has secured an agreement between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), ending a standoff that threatened to disrupt the nation’s energy supply.
The resolution followed two days of intense conciliation meetings in Abuja, chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, with the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other senior officials in attendance.
In a statement on Wednesday, Dingyadi confirmed that the Dangote Group had agreed to redeploy staff earlier disengaged from refinery operations to other companies within the conglomerate, with no loss of pay.
“After examining the procedure used in the disengagement of workers, the meeting agreed that the management of Dangote Group shall immediately begin the process of redeploying the disengaged staff to other companies within the Dangote Group, with no loss of pay. No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN,” the minister said.
The minister also reiterated that “unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria, and this right should be respected.”
The labour dispute had escalated after PENGASSAN accused the refinery of mass transfers, dismissal of union members, and the replacement of Nigerian staff with foreign nationals. The refinery management denied the claims, insisting the workforce reorganisation was based on operational requirements.
The union subsequently halted gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery, sparking fears of wider economic disruption.
After Monday’s initial talks ended in a deadlock, the government reconvened negotiations on Tuesday at the Office of the National Security Adviser. The meeting, which stretched late into the night, finally produced a breakthrough in the early hours of Wednesday.
PENGASSAN has since agreed to begin the process of calling off its industrial action, with both parties committing to uphold the terms of the agreement in good faith.
The government delegation included Dingyadi; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi; and the Director-General of the NIA, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
The Federal Government said its intervention was necessary to safeguard economic stability and national energy security.
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