The House of Representatives has resolved to intervene in the ongoing dispute between the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Dangote Refinery, which has severely impacted the distribution of petroleum products across the country.
The decision was taken during Tuesday’s plenary session following the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance co-sponsored by Alhassan Doguwa (Kano) and Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto), titled “Need to protect private investment from adversarial unionism.”
The lawmakers drew attention to the strategic importance of the $20 billion Dangote Refinery, describing it as Africa’s largest private petroleum facility, vital to Nigeria’s energy security, job creation, and foreign exchange conservation.
The face-off, which led to an industrial action beginning on September 29, 2025, disrupted operations at the refinery, reportedly causing a daily crude oil production loss of around 200,000 barrels over a three-day period. This has triggered widespread fuel scarcity and long queues at filling stations across several states, compounding the hardship faced by Nigerians.
Doguwa, in his address, highlighted that the refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone and is therefore governed by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA). He cited Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act, which states that employment in such zones is regulated by NEPZA rules and not by general employment laws.
He warned that actions by labour unions that flout the legal framework of Free Zones risk damaging investor confidence and jeopardising strategic national assets.
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“If private investments of strategic national importance are continually subjected to unlawful disruptions by adversarial unionism, Nigeria risks not only the failure of key economic assets but also the erosion of investor confidence,” Doguwa said.
In his contribution, Ahmad Jaha, representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, cautioned against rushing into a probe, suggesting that such a move might be premature and counterproductive.
Following deliberations, the House adopted the motion and called on its leadership to mediate between the refinery and PENGASSAN to restore industrial harmony in the national interest.
Additionally, the House:
- Urged the Federal Ministries of Labour and Employment, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Justice to develop a national policy framework to protect strategic private investments from adversarial union actions.
- Directed the Ministry of Justice and NEPZA to enforce full compliance with Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act in all Free Zone operations.
The intervention comes at a critical time, as Nigeria continues to grapple with fuel supply challenges and seeks to encourage both local and foreign investment in key sectors.
