…As FG assures of swift resolution of PENGASSAN-Dangote Refinery dispute
By Obasola Olatunde
Nigeria is facing the imminent threat of a total nationwide power blackout after gas suppliers instructed thermal power plants to halt operations, preempting the looming strike action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
Thermal plants, which constitute the backbone of the nation’s electricity supply, have received formal shutdown notifications, pushing the country to the brink of a severe energy crisis.
The critical development was confirmed by Dr. Joy Ogaji, Executive Secretary of the Association of Power Generation Companies (GenCos), who posted a dire warning on Sunday.
According to Ogaji, thermal GenCos were notified by their gas suppliers to commence shutdown in compliance with PENGASSAN’s directives, with the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company specifically requesting GenCos to adhere to the order.
Dr. Ogaji cautioned that the immediate shutdown of these major power sources is “extremely worrisome” and could lead to a system-wide collapse. She stressed that the country’s hydroelectric dams alone do not possess the capacity to sustain the national grid or meet demand.
“Once thermal plants go offline, the hydros cannot support national demand on their own. The grid will collapse,” Ogaji warned, suggesting that the impending power crisis could be one of the worst the country has faced in recent history.
PENGASSAN initiated the strike to protest alleged unfair labour practices, unresolved welfare issues, and threats to workers’ rights within the energy sector. As the union’s directive takes immediate effect on gas supply, industries, businesses, and homes now face the reality of prolonged darkness.
Pressure is rapidly mounting on the Federal Government to issue an official response and intervene urgently to avert the imminent nationwide blackout, which will have crippling effects on the economy and public life.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured that all outstanding matters, notably the dispute between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery, are being addressed urgently and in good faith.
It also clarifed that there will be no suspension of the Naira-for-crude oil initiative, simultaneously assuring Nigerians of an uninterrupted supply of refined petroleum products nationwide.
The assurance follows a high-level meeting of the Steering Committee of the Domestic Crude Oil and Refined Products Sales in Local Currency Initiative, chaired by the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, in Abuja yesterday.
The committee’s discussions addressed two key recent concerns: a widely circulated, but now amicably resolved, purported suspension of the local currency crude arrangement involving the Dangote Refinery, and issues raised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) regarding the same refinery.
Following the review, the committee emphatically reaffirmed the continuity of the crude oil for the Naira initiative.
The Federal Government underscored its commitment, stating it is “fully committed to ensuring energy security, protecting consumers, and maintaining stability in the domestic petroleum products market.”
In attendance were key stakeholders, including the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Zacch Adedeji, and representatives from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd., the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Afreximbank, and the Dangote Refinery.