FG meets Dangote refinery over PENGASSAN concerns

The federal government has met with representatives of the Dangote refinery following concerns raised by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

In a statement on Sunday, Mohammed Manga, director of information and public relations at the ministry of finance, said the meeting was convened by the sub-committee on the crude and refined product sales in naira initiative.

The session was chaired by Wale Edun, minister of finance, and Zacch Adedeji, executive chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and chair of the sub-committee.

Also, present were Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning, and representatives of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).

According to Manga, the meeting reviewed developments in the downstream oil sector, including the naira-for-crude initiative.

Two key issues were highlighted: the “purported suspension” of the naira-for-crude oil arrangement by Dangote refinery—since resolved—and the dispute between PENGASSAN and the refinery.

The sub-committee reaffirmed that there would be no disruption in the supply of refined petroleum products nationwide and stressed that the crude-for-naira arrangement remains in place.

“All outstanding issues, particularly the dispute between PENGASSAN and Dangote Refinery, are being addressed with urgency and in good faith,” the statement added.

The federal government, it noted, remains committed to ensuring energy security, protecting consumers, and maintaining stability in the domestic petroleum market.

On September 26, Dangote refinery suspended the sale of petrol in naira, citing a depletion of its crude-for-naira allocation, but resumed sales on Saturday after government intervention.

In a separate development, PENGASSAN directed members to embark on a nationwide strike over the dismissal of “over 800 workers” at the refinery.

Dangote confirmed the layoffs but insisted that “only a small number were affected” in what it described as a reorganisation exercise.

Nevertheless, the Ministry of Labour has called for another meeting with PENGASSAN to sort out the strike issues as it poses a serious problem for the Nigerian economy.