The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has directed all its affiliate unions to begin urgent mobilisation ahead of a potential nationwide industrial action against the Dangote Group over alleged anti-labour practices.
The directive came amid a strike declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Monday, which crippled activities at major oil and gas institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
However, the National Industrial Court in Abuja on the same day issued an interim order restraining PENGASSAN from continuing its strike against the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals FZE. The court barred the union from disrupting crude oil and gas supplies to the $20 billion Lekki-based refinery.
PENGASSAN, however, insisted it had not received any court injunction, stating that legal notices are served through bailiffs, not social media posts.
In an internal memo addressed to affiliate unions, NLC President Joe Ajaero accused the Dangote Group of running a “protracted anti-worker crusade” and urged members to prepare for a “decisive collective action.”
According to Ajaero, the dispute between the refinery and PENGASSAN began after over 800 workers were allegedly sacked for attempting to unionise. He claimed the dismissed employees were replaced with about 2,000 expatriates, mostly from India. Dangote Group denied the allegation, saying the layoffs were part of a safety-related restructuring, adding that over 3,000 Nigerians remain on its payroll.
The standoff has already disrupted operations at the refinery, a project central to Nigeria’s plan to cut fuel imports and stabilise its currency. Government officials have since intervened, holding a mediation meeting on Monday in Abuja between the Federal Government, PENGASSAN, and the Dangote Group.
Ajaero accused the company of violating labour laws and international conventions. “The Dangote Group operates as a state within a state. It has repeatedly flouted Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution and ILO Conventions 87 and 98,” he said.
He added, “Their facilities are not workplaces but plantations of exploitation, where the dignity of workers is crushed to maximise profit. The time for dialogue is over. The moment for decisive action is now.”
The NLC directed affiliate unions to immediately begin unionisation drives at all Dangote facilities and prepare for a coordinated industrial response. Each affiliate has been asked to establish an Action Mobilisation Committee and liaise with the NLC headquarters within 72 hours for strategy coordination.
“The impunity of the Dangote Group must be met with organised resistance,” Ajaero warned. “The blood and sweat of Nigerian workers built this conglomerate; we will not let it become a monument to their oppression.”
Meanwhile, the PENGASSAN strike paralysed operations at NNPCL and related agencies on Monday. At the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the main gate remained locked, leaving staff stranded. Similar scenes were observed at the NMDPRA headquarters, where the union said it achieved “100 per cent compliance.”
In its court filing, Dangote Group argued that the layoffs were due to sabotage and safety concerns, not anti-union sentiment. The company’s counsel, George Ibrahim, stressed that the refinery provides essential services to the Nigerian economy and cannot afford operational disruptions.
He asked the court to restrain unions and regulatory bodies from halting crude and gas supply or obstructing refinery operations.
The Dangote Refinery dispute has become a test of strength between Nigeria’s most powerful industrial conglomerate and the country’s organised labour, with significant implications for the energy sector and the broader economy.
