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 significantly disrupted petroleum product distribution across the nation. This decision was made during a plenary session on Tuesday, following a motion of urgent public importance co-sponsored by lawmakers Alhassan Doguwa and Abdussamad Dasuki.
The motion highlighted the critical role of the Dangote Refinery, the largest private petroleum refinery in Africa, and the impact of the industrial action that began on September 29, 2025. This action has reportedly caused a loss of approximately 200,000 barrels of crude oil production per day and has led to severe petrol scarcity and long queues at filling stations across Nigeria.
Doguwa emphasized the refinery’s strategic importance, stating it could enhance energy security, reduce import dependency, generate jobs, and conserve foreign exchange. He pointed out that the refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone and is therefore governed by specific regulatory frameworks that should protect it from unlawful disruptions.
The House expressed concern that actions by labor unions that disregard these legal protections not only breach the law but also create a hostile environment for investment. They urged the leadership to facilitate peace between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery and called on relevant federal ministries to develop policies that safeguard strategic private investments from adversarial union actions.
Following the motion’s adoption, the House charged the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act regarding Free Zone operations.
