The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced the suspension of petrol sales in naira, even as tensions rise over the alleged dismissal of hundreds of Nigerian workers.
In a notice to its customers on Friday, September 26, the refinery stated that the suspension of naira transactions would begin on Sunday, September 28, citing the exhaustion of its crude-for-naira allocation. The company explained that it had already exceeded its allocation under the programme and could no longer sustain sales in local currency. Customers with ongoing naira-based transactions were advised to request refunds.
Part of the message read, “We have sold petroleum products in excess of our naira-crude allocations and, consequently, cannot continue PMS sales in naira going forward. This suspension will be effective from September 28, 2025.”
Industry analysts have warned that the move could lead to another rise in pump prices, as a shift to dollar transactions may increase costs. In March 2025, a similar suspension caused prices to climb to within a few hundred naira of N1,000 per litre.
The announcement coincides with an escalating industrial crisis. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has accused the refinery of victimising union members and terminating the appointments of over 800 Nigerian workers. The union alleged that the mass sack targeted employees who voluntarily joined PENGASSAN after a unionisation drive at the refinery and further claimed that more than 2,000 Indian expatriates had been retained to take over the jobs of the dismissed Nigerians.
The General Secretary of PENGASSAN, Lumumba Okugbawa, told journalists, “The termination followed the submission of the first batch of union members’ list to management. Over 800 workers agreed to join the union. Shortly after, we saw letters firing all Nigerian staff, while over 2,000 expatriates were retained.”
PENGASSAN described the mass sack as a violation of workers’ constitutional rights to freedom of association. The union has warned that it could picket the refinery if management fails to recall the affected workers, despite a subsisting court order barring unions from blocking operations at the facility.
