A high-stakes reconciliation meeting convened by the Nigerian government to resolve the bitter dispute between the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) ended in a deadlock late Monday night, failing to produce an agreement.
The meeting, which was chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, brought together key figures including the leadership of PENGASSAN, the management of Dangote Refinery, the Minister of Finance, and directors from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA). Originally scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Abuja, the session was delayed by the late arrival of key participants and finally commenced at 3:50 p.m. It stretched on for hours, ultimately breaking up just after midnight without a resolution. However, it was learned that talks are expected to resume at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 30.
At the opening of the meeting, Minister Dingyadi had emphasized its critical importance, stating that the dispute must be resolved to prevent adverse effects on the Nigerian populace. The crisis was triggered after PENGASSAN directed its members to disrupt activities at the refinery by blocking gas supply. The union’s action is a response to the refinery’s management sacking some of its members and has accused the company of anti-labour practices and spreading misinformation.
In a swift response, Dangote Refinery labeled the union’s order as illegal and cautioned PENGASSAN to operate within the bounds of Nigerian law, asserting that the union has no legal right to interfere with its contracts with third-party vendors for gas and crude oil supply. The company called on the government and security agencies to intervene, warning that PENGASSAN’s actions could inflict significant harm on the Nigerian economy.
The deadlock occurs despite several earlier interventions. The House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources had called on PENGASSAN to suspend its directive, and the federal government had made a direct appeal to call off the planned strike. Furthermore, the National Industrial Court in Abuja had issued an interim order restraining PENGASSAN from continuing with the industrial action and from cutting supply to the refinery. In a significant escalation on Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress directed all its affiliate unions to begin mobilizing for industrial action against the Dangote Group, signaling a potential widening of the conflict.
