FG to PENGASSAN: Suspend planned strike over Dangote dispute

The Federal Government has appealed to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to suspend its planned strike scheduled to begin on Monday, September 29, 2025, following its dispute with the Dangote Refinery.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, in a statement on Sunday, said the Ministry has already initiated steps to bring both parties to the negotiating table in order to prevent further escalation of the crisis.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Patience Onuobia, invitations have been sent to the leadership of PENGASSAN and the management of Dangote Refinery to attend an emergency conciliation meeting in the Minister’s office on Monday.

Dingyadi urged the union to withdraw its strike notice, stressing that a peaceful atmosphere was necessary for the resolution process.

“The Ministry of Labour and Employment, through the Director of Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations, has invited both parties to a conciliation meeting in my office on Monday.

“I appeal to them to consider the critical role of the petroleum sector in Nigeria’s economy.

“A strike at this time will result in huge revenue losses, worsen hardship for citizens, and could threaten both economic stability and national security,” the Minister said.

He called on both sides to give peace a chance, assuring that the Federal Government was committed to resolving the matter amicably in the national interest and to the satisfaction of all parties involved.