Vice President Kashim Shettima has cautioned the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) against actions capable of undermining national stability and declared that Nigeria is greater than any labour union.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of the 2025 Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja, Shettima addressed the recent industrial dispute between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Refinery, which temporarily disrupted oil and gas operations nationwide.
The Vice President described Aliko Dangote as “an institution and a pillar of Nigeria’s economic development,” urging both labour and industry players to exercise restraint and patriotism in handling disputes.
“Aliko Dangote is not an individual; he’s an institution, and he’s a leading light in Nigeria’s economic parliament,” Shettima said.
“If he had invested $10bn in Microsoft, Amazon, or Google, he might be worth $70–80bn today. But he chose Nigeria, and we must protect, promote, and preserve the interests of this great nation.”
Shettima warned against holding the country to ransom over minor labour disagreements, noting that such disruptions weaken investor confidence and threaten economic progress.
“I wish to call for caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism from both labour and the organised private sector. It’s not about holding the whole nation to ransom because of a minor labour dispute. Nigeria is greater than PENGASSAN. Nigeria is greater than each and every one of us,” he added.
The Vice President’s comments followed PENGASSAN’s industrial action over the alleged dismissal of 800 workers by Dangote Refinery for joining the union.
The refinery denied the claim, insisting only a few workers were disengaged as part of an internal reorganisation to address acts of sabotage.
The strike disrupted critical oil and gas operations, leading to a drop in production and power generation across the country.
It also contributed to a rise in the price of cooking gas, which sold for about ₦2,000 per kg in Lagos and other parts of the country as of Monday, compared to around ₦900 before the crisis.
Following Federal Government intervention, PENGASSAN suspended its strike after Dangote Group was directed to redeploy the affected workers to other business units within the conglomerate.
Meanwhile, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo responded to Shettima’s remarks, affirming that the nation is greater than the Presidency and Dangote as well.
“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 discharge it whenever the need arises,” Osifo said.
Osifo, who also serves as the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), maintained that the union would take similar action if a comparable situation occurred again.
“Should this same event occur again tomorrow, our approach will be exactly the same,” he added, dismissing claims that the Federal Government could dissolve PENGASSAN.
At the same summit, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining economic reforms and supporting domestic production.
Bagudu noted that the policy reforms introduced in May 2023 — including the removal of fuel subsidies, deregulation of the forex market, tighter borrowing discipline, and the naira-for-crude policy — had strengthened macroeconomic stability.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s GDP growth improved to 3.4 percent in 2024 and is projected to expand further in 2025, adding that the government would continue to prioritise agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure to sustain the downward trend in inflation and reduce the cost of living.
“Inflationary expectations are on the decline, and we shall continue to support domestic production,” Bagudu said.
The Dangote–PENGASSAN episode underscores Nigeria’s need to balance labour rights with industrial competitiveness as the government works to attract private investment and stabilise the economy.
