The Federal Government has announced the resolution of the industrial dispute between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), bringing an end to days of tension that threatened the nation’s energy stability.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, confirmed the breakthrough in a statement issued early Wednesday in Abuja. He said the resolution followed two days of marathon conciliation meetings involving key government officials, the refinery management, and union leaders.
According to Dingyadi, the parties agreed that disengaged refinery staff would be redeployed to other companies within the Dangote Group without loss of pay, while no worker would face victimisation for their role in the standoff. He stressed that unionisation is a right enshrined in Nigerian labour laws and must be respected.
The minister further disclosed that PENGASSAN has begun the process of calling off its strike, after both sides committed to the resolutions in good faith.
The high-level meetings, which held at the Office of the National Security Adviser, were attended by top government officials including the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; 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, Barr. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
Monday’s initial talks had ended in a deadlock after hours of deliberations, prompting government mediators to reconvene on Tuesday afternoon. The second round stretched late into the night and produced the final agreement in the early hours of Wednesday.
The dispute had erupted after PENGASSAN accused the refinery of mass transfers and dismissals of union members, as well as replacing some Nigerian workers with foreign staff—allegations the company denied, insisting that its restructuring was driven by operational needs.
The Federal Government intervened amid fears of potential disruptions to fuel supply and wider implications for national economic and energy security.
