The Federal Government has convened a high-level reconciliation meeting in Abuja as tensions rise between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. The talks, currently underway in the conference room of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, bring together PENGASSAN’s leadership led by President Festus Osifo, Dangote refinery officials, and top government mediators. Minister of Labour Mohammed Dingyadi and Minister of State Nkiruka Onyejeocha are also in attendance.

The dispute stems from unresolved labour issues, with PENGASSAN escalating matters earlier this week through a nationwide strike directive. On Monday, union members blocked the Abuja headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), as well as the offices of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). The coordinated blockades disrupted operations, underlining the severity of the standoff.

Monday’s actions followed directives from PENGASSAN’s national executive committee in protest of the Dangote Refinery’s dismissal of workers and alleged violations of labour rights. The ongoing meeting represents the Federal Government’s attempt to broker peace, with both sides under pressure to reach a resolution that could avert further disruption to Nigeria’s already sensitive energy sector.

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