A major escalation in the Nigerian oil and gas sector was abruptly put on pause today, as the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Abuja issued a crucial order restraining the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) from executing its planned industrial action against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.
The court’s directive comes on the heels of a massive standoff that has already seen PENGASSAN members successfully shut down the headquarters of key industry regulators, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The Order: Crude and Gas Supply Must Continue
Justice Emmanuel Subilim, in a ruling on an ex parte application filed by the Dangote Refinery, granted the interim order barring PENGASSAN, its agents, or members from any action aimed at crippling the refinery’s operations. Crucially, the order specifically prohibits the union from halting the supply of crude oil and gas to the facility.
The Dangote Refinery had rushed to court, arguing that PENGASSAN’s threat to cut off its essential feedstocks amounted to economic sabotage that would plunge the entire nation back into a severe energy crisis. The refinery’s lawyers underscored that the industrial action was not only targeting the private company but also jeopardizing a national asset built to address decades of fuel import dependency.
A Strike Over Union Rights and Sacked Workers
The industrial tension began building over the weekend after PENGASSAN announced a nationwide strike. The union’s grievance centers on the refinery’s alleged anti-labour practices, specifically the purported mass dismissal of over 800 Nigerian workers who had recently joined the union. PENGASSAN insists that the refinery is replacing qualified Nigerian personnel with expatriates—a claim vehemently denied by the refinery management, which termed the union’s action “lawless” and “economic terrorism.”
Despite the Federal Government, through the Minister of Labour, appealing for calm and convening an emergency truce meeting today, the union proceeded with its strike. Its members had, by Monday morning, locked up the offices of the nation’s most vital oil agencies, demonstrating a commitment to the cause that has now been checked by the judiciary.
The interim court order is a temporary measure, set to last for only seven days. The case has been adjourned until October 13, at which point a full hearing on the motion will determine the next phase of this high-stakes battle between one of Nigeria’s most powerful unions and its most significant private industrial project. The focus now shifts back to the negotiation table, but with the court having secured the energy supply chain, the immediate threat of a nationwide fuel and power crisis has, for the moment, been averted.
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