PENGASSAN-Dangote Dispute: Reps Move to Broker Peace as Stations Run Dry
By: Abudu Olalekan
It began with empty pumps. Frustrated drivers. Endless queues. No fuel. Just silence at the station. Then came the grumbling. And finally, action.
On a hot Tuesday in Abuja, the House of Representatives couldn’t look away. The showdown between PENGASSAN, the oil workers’ union, and the $20 billion Dangote Refinery had snarled product distribution nationwide. Every day since September 29, 2025, they’d lost about 200,000 barrels of crude. The ripple? Chaos at filling stations from Lagos to Maiduguri.
So two lawmakers stood up. Kano’s Alhassan Doguwa and Sokoto’s Abdussamad Dasuki co-sponsored a motion labeled “We need to protect private investment from adversarial unionism.” Short. Sharp. Urgent. And the House adopted it without fuss.
Doguwa, representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, leaned on the mic. He painted the refinery as more than a factory. It’s Africa’s largest private petroleum plant. A pillar for energy security. A jobs engine. A foreign-exchange saver. He reminded colleagues that Dangote Refinery sits in a Free Trade Zone. Under Section 18(5) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act, NEPZA rules govern employment there—not the usual labour laws.
“Some union actions ignore that clear legal wall,” he said, voice rising. “That’s a breach of law. A hostile signal to investors.”
Later, Ahmad Jaha of Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza weighed in. He told Reps to hit the brakes. Probe now? Ill-timed, he warned. Let’s be careful. But the urgency had already caught fire.
When the gavel fell, the House resolved to mediate peace between PENGASSAN and Dangote. They urged the Federal Ministries of Labour and Employment; Industry, Trade and Investment; and Justice to join forces. Task: craft a national framework safeguarding strategic private investments from unlawful union stoppages.
They also formally instructed the Justice Ministry and NEPZA to enforce Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act across all Free Zones. No more grey areas. No more legal loopholes.
Back at petrol stations, the brief calm feels tentative. Truckers are ready to roll, but only if the unions and refinery bosses shake hands. Otherwise, the refineries stay silent. The engines keep stalling.
In Port Harcourt, commuters told Reportersroom they’re relieved by parliamentary attention—but anxious about real action. One taxi driver sighed: “They talk big in Abuja. But we in traffic? We just want fuel.”
Analysts say it’s a test for Nigeria’s investment climate. If private players fear routine strikes, they’ll look elsewhere. And that’s money — and jobs — walking out the door. The Reps’ move is a message: walk back from the brink, or face tougher laws.
Yet critics note that enforcing NEPZA rules alone won’t heal worker-management rifts. They want dialogue. A lasting pact. Maybe a conciliatory committee. Or fresh negotiations hosted by Labour Ministry officials.
Still, the House’s push is a start. It signals that Nigeria’s lawmakers see beyond headlines. They sense the blood-pressure spikes at pumps and want to cool things down. A tough balancing act between union rights and investor security.
What happens next? PENGASSAN and Dangote executives are due in a mediated meeting this week. The clock is ticking. Commuters are watching. Investors are watching. And the Reps, having set the framework, will track every development.
Stations may soon hum again. Engines may roar. But this episode leaves a question hanging: when private giants clash with unions, can Abuja’s mediation tools keep the lights—and pumps—on? Only time will tell.
