PENGASSAN Strike 2025: Oil Giants NNPC, NUPRC, NMDPRA Shut Down in Fiery Labor Clash
By: Abudu Olalekan
Imagine this: it’s early Monday morning in Abuja. The sun’s just peeking over the skyline, but the energy sector’s already grinding to a halt. Locked gates. Stranded workers pacing outside. Security guys waving folks away like it’s a crime scene. Yeah, that’s the scene at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission headquarters. PENGASSAN—the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria—has called the shots. Their nationwide strike kicked off at midnight, and bam. Key players like NNPC Limited, NUPRC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority? Shut tight. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Our guy on the ground, a Reportersroom correspondent, was there. He watched as employees showed up, briefcases in hand, only to find the main gate bolted. “No entry,” a security operative muttered, arms crossed. It wasn’t just talk. The union’s National Executive Council dropped the hammer over the weekend. Members everywhere—from Lagos to Port Harcourt—pulled the plug on services. Critical agencies that keep Nigeria’s oil and gas machine humming? Paralyzed. Just like that.
Tony Iziogba, PENGASSAN’s chairman at NMDPRA, confirmed it all to Reportersroom. “We’ve got 100 percent compliance,” he said, voice firm but edged with frustration. His team made sure of it too—at NNPC and beyond. Activities in the Central Business District? Dead. Workers complied fully, no stragglers. It’s the kind of solidarity that hits hard in an industry where every hour counts.
Why now? Why this? It boils down to Dangote Petroleum Refinery. PENGASSAN’s fuming over what they call wrongful sackings—about 800 workers, gone because they joined the union. Replaced by foreigners, no less. The union’s resolution, signed by General Secretary Lumumba Okugbawa, doesn’t mince words. It’s a fiery takedown of labor law violations, thumbing noses at International Labour Organisation rules. “All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately,” it blasts. International Oil Companies? Ramp down production. No more feeding the beast.
The strike started Sunday night, technically. Members in field locations downed tools at 6 a.m., then switched to round-the-clock prayer vigils. Sounds almost peaceful, right? But nah. Shockwaves are rippling through the energy world. Oil marketers are already warning of fuel shortages. Prices spiking. Demand choking the domestic market. NNPC’s the only petrol importer right now, and with them locked out, it’s a recipe for queues at pumps. Blackouts looming too—NUPRC handles crude monitoring and gas to power plants. Midstream and downstream regs? Grounded. Nigeria’s black gold lifeline, fraying at the edges.
Picture the panic. Families stocking up on fuel. Businesses wondering if generators will run dry. It’s not hyperbole; this could plunge us deeper into crisis. PENGASSAN’s move is bold, desperate even. They’ve been pushing for justice, but now it’s all-out war. The refinery’s denials? Falling on deaf ears.
All eyes turn to the Minister of Labour’s emergency meeting today. Can talks bridge the gap? Will compromise cool the tempers? Or are we headed for prolonged pain—scarcity, higher costs, maybe even broader unrest? It’s anyone’s guess. But in Nigeria’s volatile energy game, strikes like this remind us: workers hold real power. They’ve got the tools, the know-how. Shut it down, and the whole country feels it.
Let’s zoom out a bit. PENGASSAN isn’t new to this rodeo. They’ve fought for rights before, from better pay to safer conditions. This time, though, it’s personal. Those 800 jobs? Not just numbers. They’re families, futures. The union accuses Dangote of union-busting, plain and simple. Foreign hires stepping in? That stings, especially when locals are sidelined. Okugbawa’s letter calls it out—blatant disregard for Nigerian laws. “Cease all services,” it orders. And they did.
Reportersroom’s been tracking this since the announcement. Sunday’s directive hit like thunder. By dawn Monday, compliance was ironclad. At NMDPRA’s bustling HQ, the usual hum of meetings and paperwork? Silent. Employees chatted outside, some frustrated, others resolute. “We’re standing together,” one worker whispered. It’s that spirit keeping the strike alive.
Critics say it’s disruptive, risky. Fuel prices could soar, hitting the poor hardest. But PENGASSAN counters: ignore us, and bigger problems brew. Labor rights eroded, foreign dominance grows. The government’s in a tight spot—balance industry needs with worker demands. That meeting? High stakes. Dialogue might work, or it could drag on, leaving pumps empty and lights dim.
As the day unfolds, Nigeria holds its breath. PENGASSAN’s strike isn’t just a shutdown; it’s a cry for fairness in an oil-rich but unequal land. Will it force change? Or fuel more chaos?
