The Federal Government has successfully ended the face-off between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), preventing a strike that could have disrupted the oil and gas sector.
The breakthrough came after two marathon meetings held in Abuja. The first session on Monday dragged late into the night without a resolution, but talks resumed on Tuesday at the Office of the National Security Adviser.
By the early hours of Wednesday, September 30, both sides had finally reached an agreement.
In a statement confirming the outcome, Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, said the resolutions were reached in good faith.
“The Honourable Minister of Labour informed the meeting that unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria, and this right should be respected,” the statement read.
It added, “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.
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“No worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.
“PENGASSAN agreed to start the process of calling off the strike. Both parties agreed to this understanding in good faith.”
The meeting was attended by top officials including National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Finance Minister Wale Edun, Budget and Economic Planning Minister Senator Atiku Bagudu, Minister of State for Labour Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, and NIA Director-General Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
The dispute began after PENGASSAN accused the Dangote Refinery of sacking and transferring union members, while also alleging that some Nigerian workers were being replaced with foreigners. The company denied the claims.
The government’s intervention came over fears that the disagreement could hurt the economy and energy security.
With the truce now in place, workers are expected to return to their duties, while the refinery management begins redeploying affected staff.
This agreement marks a significant step in averting industrial unrest in one of Nigeria’s most critical sectors.