The Federal Government has announced the end of the industrial dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). The breakthrough followed two days of marathon conciliation meetings convened by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi.
According to Dingyadi, the matter was settled in the early hours of Wednesday after extensive dialogue. He stated that “unionisation is a right of workers in accordance with the laws of Nigeria, and this right should be respected.”
The parties resolved that the Dangote Group must immediately redeploy disengaged employees to other subsidiaries of the company without loss of pay. The meeting also stressed that “no worker will be victimised arising from their role in the impasse between Dangote and PENGASSAN.”
PENGASSAN, in turn, agreed to initiate the process of suspending its strike action, paving the way for normal operations. Both sides committed to implementing the resolutions “in good faith.”
The reconciliation was brokered with the backing of some of the country’s most powerful officials. Present at the meeting were National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Finance Minister Wale Edun, Budget and Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu, Minister of State for Labour Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi, and NIA Director-General Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
Their intervention underscored Abuja’s concerns over the dispute’s potential impact on Nigeria’s fragile economy and energy security. The government viewed the strike as a serious threat given the refinery’s central role in the nation’s petroleum supply strategy.
Talks began on Monday but ended in a stalemate after stretching into the early hours of Tuesday. Dingyadi subsequently announced that negotiations would resume later that day.
The follow-up session eventually started around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday at the Office of the National Security Adviser and lasted deep into Wednesday morning, when the final agreement was sealed.
The crisis had been triggered by accusations from PENGASSAN that Dangote Refinery engaged in mass transfers and sackings of unionised staff. The union also alleged Nigerians were being replaced with foreign nationals, charges the company repeatedly denied.
The Federal Government’s intervention has now put an end to the standoff, with all parties bound by commitments aimed at safeguarding jobs and upholding workers’ rights.