Dangote Bows To Pressure, Agrees To Reabsorb Refinery Workers After Strike Threat
By Adeyemi Obadimu
In a dramatic turnaround, the Dangote Group has bowed to mounting pressure and agreed to reabsorb hundreds of workers earlier sacked from its refinery operations, following days of industrial unrest and nationwide strike threats by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The resolution came on Tuesday, October 1, 2025, after a marathon negotiation session brokered by the Federal Government through the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The truce followed PENGASSAN’s directive to cut off gas and crude supplies to the $20 billion Dangote Refinery in protest of what the union described as “unjust and anti-labour dismissals.”
Under the terms of the agreement:
All affected workers will be reabsorbed into other companies within the Dangote Group without loss of pay or entitlements.
The Dangote Group committed that no worker will be victimized for their role in the industrial action.
PENGASSAN, in return, will suspend the nationwide strike that had already disrupted oil and gas operations across the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors.
Justice Minister and key government officials who witnessed the deal hailed it as a victory for dialogue over confrontation, emphasizing that the right to unionize and organize is guaranteed under Nigerian law.
For days, the labour crisis had threatened Nigeria’s fragile fuel supply chain, sparking fears of scarcity and price volatility. Industry watchers noted that the face-off, which began after the dismissal of over 800 refinery workers, highlighted ongoing tensions between corporate governance at Africa’s largest refinery and labour rights in Nigeria.
The Dangote Group, owned by Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, had initially insisted on restructuring moves that triggered the sackings, but growing public outcry, union resilience, and government intervention forced a compromise.
With this agreement, the immediate strike has been suspended, and operations are expected to gradually stabilize. However, analysts say the incident raises larger questions about the Dangote Refinery’s labour relations and the sustainability of Nigeria’s industrial peace in a period of economic strain.
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