The House of Representatives has stepped in to mediate the ongoing dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, following disruptions in fuel supply across the country.

Lawmakers made the decision during Tuesday’s plenary after adopting a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Alhassan Doguwa and Abdussamad Dasuki from Kano and Sokoto States.

The motion, titled “Protecting Private Investment from Adversarial Unionism,” underscored the importance of the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, described as Africa’s largest private oil refinery and a key asset for Nigeria’s energy security and economic growth.

The industrial action, which began on September 29, 2025, reportedly caused significant disruptions to refinery operations and crude oil production, leading to a temporary loss of about 200,000 barrels per day and worsening fuel scarcity nationwide.

Doguwa, speaking on the motion, emphasized that the Dangote Refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone under the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA). He noted that according to Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act, employment within such zones is governed by the Authority’s regulations rather than general labour laws.

He warned that union activities that disregard this law could undermine investor confidence and discourage future local and foreign investments.

The House, after debate, urged its leadership to initiate dialogue between both parties to restore normalcy and protect the nation’s economic interests. It also called on the Ministries of Labour, Industry, and Justice to design a policy framework that shields strategic private investments from unlawful industrial disruptions.

Additionally, lawmakers tasked the Ministry of Justice and NEPZA with ensuring full enforcement of Free Zone regulations to prevent similar crises in the future.