The ongoing industrial action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has brought operations at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and several key agencies to a standstill.

On Monday, workers arriving at their offices in Abuja found the gates under lock and key as union members enforced the strike. The disruption extended to major oil and gas institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).

The strike stems from the dismissal of around 800 employees at the Dangote Refinery, many of whom PENGASSAN claims are members of the association. The union has accused the refinery of anti-labour practices and unfair treatment of local staff.

Refinery management, however, defended its decision, stating that the terminated workers were involved in repeated acts of sabotage that posed serious safety risks and hindered production efficiency.

As part of its protest, PENGASSAN has also ordered members to halt the supply of crude oil and gas to the Dangote facility and directed oilfield workers to stop operations.

At the locked entrances of the affected offices, security personnel were stationed while union members maintained strict enforcement of the shutdown. A PENGASSAN representative at NNPC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that no staff were allowed entry into the company premises.

The standoff has heightened concerns about wider disruptions in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, is expected to convene a meeting between both parties in a bid to de-escalate the crisis and find common ground.