Oil Union Clashes with VP Shettima Over Dangote Refinery Dispute
In a heated exchange that has caught the attention of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, PENGASSAN (Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria) is standing firm against Vice President Kashim Shettima’s criticism of their recent industrial action against Dangote Refinery.
The drama unfolded after PENGASSAN orchestrated a shutdown of critical oil and gas facilities last week, protesting the alleged dismissal of 800 workers who had joined their union at the Dangote Refinery. While the refinery maintains it only removed a handful of employees for alleged sabotage during a company restructuring, the union isn’t buying that explanation.
Things got spicier when VP Shettima, speaking at the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, threw his weight behind Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, hailing him as “an institution and pillar of Nigeria’s economic development.” The Vice President didn’t mince words, warning that Nigeria stands above PENGASSAN and that no one should hold the nation hostage.
But PENGASSAN’s National President, Festus Osifo, who also heads the Trade Union Congress, fired back with equal vigor. “Of course the nation is bigger than PENGASSAN, the way it’s bigger than Dangote and the Presidency,” he declared to Punch newspaper. Osifo made it crystal clear that protecting their members’ jobs is non-negotiable, and they won’t hesitate to take similar action if history repeats itself.
The union’s stance remains unwavering, with Osifo emphasizing that “Should this same event occur again tomorrow, our approach will be exactly the same.” This face-off between one of Nigeria’s most powerful unions and the presidency, with the Dangote empire in the middle, suggests this industrial dispute is far from over.
