PENGASSAN strike paralyzes NNPC, NUPRC, NMDPRA
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) on Monday enforced a nationwide strike that crippled operations at Nigeria’s top energy institutions, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).
At the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, the facility was sealed off with gates locked and staff denied entry. Security officials confirmed that the building was shut in line with the strike directive.
A similar scene played out at the NMDPRA headquarters in Abuja’s Central Business District, where operations came to a complete halt.
PENGASSAN Chairman at NMDPRA, Mr Tony Iziogba told reporters that compliance was total. “We recorded 100 per cent compliance here. Both staff and visitors have been denied access,” he said, adding that the strike order was equally enforced at the NNPCL and other branches nationwide.
The strike followed the reported unlawful dismissal of about 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. PENGASSAN accused the refinery of violating Nigerian labour laws and International Labour Organisation conventions by sacking workers on the grounds of union membership and replacing them with expatriates.
In a resolution signed by General Secretary, Mr Lumumba Okugbawa, the union ordered: “All processes involving gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery should be halted immediately.
All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals.”
The directive has already sent shockwaves through the energy market. Marketers have warned that disruptions in crude and gas supply could escalate fuel scarcity and push pump prices higher, deepening the country’s energy crisis.
On Sunday, the union instructed all members nationwide to withdraw services from 12:01 a.m. on September 29, 2025, while members in field operations were directed to shut down facilities from 6:00 a.m. on September 28. Workers were also urged to embark on a continuous prayer session for the duration of the action.