The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has criticised Vice President Kashim Shettima for defending billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote over a recent labour dispute at the Dangote Refinery.
The union said on Monday that it would not hesitate to strike again if its members were unfairly sacked. This comes after Shettima condemned PENGASSAN’s industrial action and warned that “Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN.”
Speaking at the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Shettima described Dangote as “an institution and a pillar of Nigeria’s economic development.”
“Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament,” Shettima said. “Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us.”
He added that how Nigeria treats Dangote will determine how investors view the country.
“If he had invested $10bn in Microsoft or Amazon, he could be worth $80bn by now. But he chose to invest in his country, and we owe it to future generations to protect and promote such commitment,” Shettima said.
But in a swift response, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo said the nation was not only greater than the union but also greater than Dangote and the Presidency.
“Of course, the nation is bigger than PENGASSAN, the way it’s bigger than Dangote and the Presidency. We have a mandate to protect the jobs of our members, and we will do that whenever the need arises,” Osifo told The PUNCH.
Osifo, who is also the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), insisted that the union would take the same action again if similar sackings occurred.
“Should this same event occur again tomorrow, our approach will be exactly the same,” he said.
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When asked about social media calls for the Federal Government to dissolve PENGASSAN, Osifo replied, “Does the law prohibit workers’ right to strike?”
The union’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, also questioned the Vice President’s remarks, saying, “Is Nigeria not bigger than any individual or institution?”
Last week, PENGASSAN shut down oil and gas facilities nationwide after alleging that the Dangote Refinery sacked 800 workers who joined the union. The company denied the claims, saying only a few workers involved in sabotage were dismissed as part of a reorganisation.
The strike disrupted oil production and power generation, leading to fuel shortages and higher cooking gas prices. The union later suspended the strike after government mediation and an agreement to redeploy the affected workers to other Dangote business units.
Despite the resolution, cooking gas prices remain high—selling for ₦2,000 per kilogram in Lagos and other cities on Monday, compared to ₦900 before the strike.
Meanwhile, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, said the government would continue to support domestic production to stabilise the economy.
“The next focus of government is sustaining reforms for growth and development. Inflationary expectations are declining, and we shall continue to support domestic production,” he said.
He noted that reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, foreign exchange deregulation, and tighter borrowing discipline had helped prevent a fiscal collapse. The minister projected GDP growth of 4.6% in 2025, adding that the National Development Plan 2026–2030 aims to build a $1 trillion economy.
Also speaking, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, said Nigeria must move from “talk to results” in implementing trade policies.
“Talk is cheap. It is time to translate policy into impact so that within three years, exporters can feel the difference,” she said.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Olaniyi Yusuf, warned that how Nigeria treats local investors like Dangote will affect foreign investment.
“Dead businesses don’t employ workers or pay taxes. Regulators must enable, not stifle, private sector growth,” he said.
He urged the government to build investor confidence by protecting both workers and businesses.
“Nigeria must say clearly: we will protect, not picket, investors,” he said.