Operations at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) were disrupted on Monday after workers commenced an indefinite strike over unresolved welfare and administrative concerns, leading to the closure of offices across the country.

Although most offices were shut down, essential technical personnel were reportedly exempted from the industrial action to prevent a complete halt in critical upstream operations while negotiations continue.

The strike followed the breakdown of talks between workers’ representatives and the commission’s management over long-standing grievances relating to staff welfare, promotion processes, institutional governance, and training opportunities.

Union sources said repeated attempts to resolve the issues ended in deadlock, prompting workers to withdraw their services. Among the key concerns raised is the structure of cost allocations within the petroleum regulatory system, particularly the one per cent deduction earmarked for another downstream regulatory agency, which workers argue has reduced NUPRC’s financial and operational capacity.

The aggrieved employees also accused management of failing to adequately address salary concerns and career development, insisting that remuneration within the commission does not reflect industry standards in the oil and gas sector.

Training and professional development also featured prominently in the dispute, with workers criticising what they described as a preference for locally based capacity-building programmes over overseas training opportunities.

Despite the shutdown of administrative operations, the commission has assured that oil production and upstream activities remain unaffected. A spokesperson for NUPRC confirmed the strike but said efforts were ongoing to resolve the dispute.

According to the commission, senior officials are currently engaging with union leaders in an attempt to restore normal operations and prevent further escalation.