Dangote Petroleum Refinery has condemned what it described as a “brazen and shocking display of lawlessness” by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), following a directive allegedly issued by the union to its branches to cut off gas and crude oil supply to the refinery.
In a press release signed by the management on 27th September, 2025, the refinery said PENGASSAN’s statement on September 26, 2025, instructed its branches in TotalEnergies E&P, Seplat Producing, Renaissance, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC) to immediately halt supply operations to Dangote Refinery and disrupt loading for vessels headed to its facilities.
Dangote Refinery described the move as an “unlawful and criminal attempt” to interfere in contracts between the company and its third party suppliers, stressing that PENGASSAN had no legal authority to stop operations. “Our laws do not brook self-help and mob action that could easily translate into anarchy,” the refinery noted, accusing the union of abandoning its earlier pledge to pursue grievances through legal means.
The company warned that the directive, if implemented, would amount to economic sabotage against both the Nigerian people and the state, as it would cripple the supply of critical petroleum products including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene and cooking gas. It said the hardship such disruption would cause Nigerians is “irredeemable,” questioning whose interest PENGASSAN was serving by allegedly inflicting avoidable pain on citizens.
Dangote also underscored the strategic importance of its operations, describing itself as the only refinery of its scale in Africa and a major contributor to government revenue. “An irreparable injury to the Dangote Refinery such as PENGASSAN has directed constitutes a national embarrassment,” it stated, warning that the union’s action risked discouraging foreign investment in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently intervene, the refinery urged authorities to rein in the association, insisting that PENGASSAN is not above the law and must not be allowed to behave as if it is.
The statement further appealed to Nigerians to take note of the potential hardship, emphasising that no household is untouched by the need for petroleum products. Dangote declared that PENGASSAN should return to the lawful path it announced in its own press release by pursuing its grievances through the courts rather than resorting to disruptive actions.
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