The industrial action embarked upon by oil workers at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has been suspended following successful negotiations between management and in-house unions.
Workers at the Commission had earlier downed tools over an internal dispute reportedly linked to foreign training arrangements, raising concerns about possible disruptions to regulatory activities in the oil and gas sector.
In a statement signed by the NUPRC Head of Media, Eniola Akinkuotu, the management confirmed that the strike was called off late on Monday after discussions with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
The Commission stated that the industrial action lasted about 12 hours and affected only administrative operations, stressing that regulatory activities at oil and gas facilities continued without disruption.
It also dismissed reports suggesting that crude oil production or licensing activities were affected by the strike, describing such claims as misleading.
“The Commission therefore calls on members of the public to disregard false reports on crude oil production disruptions as well as misleading publications stating that the disagreement centered on foreign training,” the statement read.
Despite the suspension, the Commission did not provide detailed clarification on the exact issues that triggered the industrial action, particularly allegations relating to foreign training, as earlier suggested by some internal sources.
Attempts to obtain further explanation from the Commission’s communications unit were unsuccessful, as only a brief statement was issued without additional confirmation or denial of the reported cause of the dispute.
The development had initially raised concerns within the oil and gas sector about possible operational disruptions, especially given the strategic role of the NUPRC in regulating upstream petroleum activities in Nigeria.
With the suspension of the strike, normal administrative operations are expected to resume fully while stakeholders await further clarity on the underlying issues between management and the unions.
