The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has declared a nationwide strike. In a directive issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Saturday, the Association instructed all members across offices, companies, institutions, and agencies to suspend services from 12:01 a.m. on Monday, September 29, 2025. PENGASSAN further ordered members deployed in field locations—including control room operators, panel operators, and outfield personnel—to down tools from 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 28, 2025, while commencing a continuous prayer vigil. According to the Association, the vigil is a call on God to compel authorities to prevail on Aliko Dangote and his associates to respect Nigeria’s laws. It emphasized that during the industrial action, no activity would be permitted in field operations except for interventions strictly related to the safety of personnel and assets, and such interventions must be cleared by the National Secretariat. Additionally, the union directed the immediate suspension of all processes involving gas and crude oil supply to the Dangote Refinery ”All PENGASSAN members across all offices, companies, institutions, and agencies should withdraw all services effective on Monday, 29th of September, 2025. ”All IOC branches must ramp down gas production and supply to Dangote Refinery and petrochemicals. “The prayer point should include a call to God Almighty to give courage to those in authority to rein in Dangote and his co-travelers on the need to obey the laws of our country. No man is bigger than our country, An injury to one is an injury to all,” the statement said.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has restarted the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, after the intervention of the Chairman of the Naira-for-Crude Transaction Committee. In a statement, the refinery stated: “Following the intervention of the Naira for Crude Transaction Committee Chairman, we are pleased to inform you of the resumption of PMS Sales in Naira commencing Immediately. “You may kindly proceed to place your orders in Naira for both self-collection and free delivery of PMS to the earlier advised locations across the country,” it said. Ads by The company explained that the temporary suspension of Naira-denominated petrol sales, announced on Friday and initially scheduled to take effect from Sunday 28 September, has been lifted. Dangote Refinery urged customers to disregard the earlier suspension notice, assuring that sales would continue without interruption to guarantee affordable petrol supply for Nigerians. Earlier, Dangote Petroleum Refinery had warned that the recent directive issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery could plunge Nigerians into fresh rounds of fuel scarcity while inflicting huge revenue losses on the government. In a statement released on Saturday, the refinery described the directive as “criminal, reckless, and an act of economic sabotage” that, if enforced, would disrupt the production and nationwide supply of critical petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas. The company stressed that these products are indispensable to daily life and the economy, warning that Nigerians at every level, from households to businesses and industries would bear the brunt of shortages.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has ordered its members nationwide to immediately suspend the supply of gas and crude oil to the Dangote Refinery. The directive was contained in a letter dated Saturday and signed by the union’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, addressed to its branch chairmen across the country. According to PENGASSAN, the move follows the refinery’s termination of over 800 workers. Consequently, the union instructed members to cut off gas supply to the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company Limited, close all crude oil supply valves to the refinery, and stop loading operations for any vessel bound for the facility. “We bring you fraternal greetings from the National Secretariat. As you are aware, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has disengaged our members in reaction to the exercise of their constitutional right to be unionised. “They have gone further on a mission of misinformation and propaganda to justify this illegitimacy rather than engaging meaningfully with us to right the wrong. “Consequent to these, you are hereby directed to cut off gas supply to NGIC effective immediately. All crude oil supply valves to the refinery should be shut. The loading operation for the vessel headed there should be halted immediately. “NGIC Chairman, ensure that gas supply to the refinery is cut off effective immediately. “All chairmen on this summons are to report promptly the progress of the directive. Kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem. Thank you. ‘Injury to one, injury to all,’” the letter reads. The move comes as a direct reaction to the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery’s dismissal of 800 workers following their decision to voluntarily join PENGASSAN. This development follows Dangote’s confirmation that the affected employees were terminated over alleged “sabotage.” On Friday, WAFFI TV had reported that the refinery laid off all its Nigerian staff after they joined the union. PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, in an interview with DAILY POST, insisted that every dismissed worker must be reinstated by the refinery.

Nigerians may face a steep hike in petrol prices as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery announced it will suspend sales of petrol in naira. The development was disclosed in a customer notice circulated to journalists on Saturday. In the notice, signed by the Group Commercial Operations of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals, the company stated that the suspension will take effect from Sunday, September 28, 2025, due to the depletion of its crude-for-naira allocation. Part of the notice read, “We write to inform you that Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has been selling petroleum products in excess of our Naira-Crude allocations and, consequently, we are unable to sustain PMS sales in Naira going forward. “Kindly note that this suspension of Naira sales for PMS will be effective from Sunday, 28th of September, 2025. We will provide further updates regarding the resumption of supply once the situation has been resolved. “All customers with PMS transactions in Naira who would like a refund of their current payments should formally request the processing of their refund.”

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, says the country has ended a 10-year freeze in oil investments, citing reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Speaking at the U.S.–Nigeria Council’s oil sector session during the UN General Assembly, Lokpobiri said past stagnation crippled growth and investor confidence, but new policies are now attracting global energy players Lokpobiri pointed out that for more than a decade before President Tinubu assumed office, Nigeria saw no new investments in its oil industry.He added that the situation has now changed, with fresh pledges worth billions of dollars pouring in. The minister emphasized that Nigeria’s ongoing reforms are boosting local production while also establishing the nation as a reliable energy hub for West Africa and the wider continent.He called on international investors to tap into the opportunities within Nigeria’s fast-evolving oil and gas sector, emphasizing that its progress would not only drive regional stability but also strengthen global energy security.

The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has sacked all its Nigerian staff, less than 24 hours after 90 percent of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). In a memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, the company described the move as part of a “total re-organisation” of the refinery, citing reported cases of sabotage across different units. The directive instructed affected employees to hand over all company property to their line managers and obtain exit clearance, while the finance department was tasked with processing their benefits and entitlements in line with their employment terms. Management also expressed appreciation to the disengaged workers for their contributions during their time with the refinery.

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) appears to have toned down its dispute with Dangote Refinery, as the group yesterday called for collaboration with the facility. It will be recalled that DAPPMAN and the refinery’s management had previously clashed over issues ranging from pricing to distribution. However, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme yesterday, the association’s spokesperson, Nkem Ohia, said in reference to Dangote Refinery: “You have wholesale, which we are angling for.” ‘’That is for us to be able to pick products in bulk with vessels with a minimum capacity of 30,000 metric tons or more and sales at ex-gantry, which is like retailing. “Ideally, most refineries lay more emphasis on ensuring that the bulk evacuates, whatever it is, through off takers who are able to lift massive quantities to be able to make sure the refinery is in a position to quickly go into production, replenish stocks as it brings in crude, it refines. “The idea is to make sure it evacuates within a reasonable period of time, not be able to keep stock. That is not his own business model, but I’m not too sure that’s the best for him. But I can’t dictate.” The DAPPMAN spokesperson denied being “in conflict” with the refinery, saying the association was rather interested in collaborating with the plant. “Even before he commenced production, we reached out to him to allow us collaborate with him and be able to take products in bulk. It has been one of back and forth. Understanding has not been firmly reached. “Instead, he prefers to work with a few select partners, which has excluded DAPPMAN. It has one or two members of DAPPMAN,’’ he said. Ohia said what the association was requesting was an open door policy, which “we believe would benefit the country.’’ He said there should be no need for selectivity that appeared to control petroleum products distribution. The DAPPMAN spokesman also dismissed insinuations that members of the association demanded an annual subsidy of N1.5trillion from Dangote Refinery to enable them match the refinery gantry’s prices at their own depots. Wondering how the refinery came about the figure it alleged, Ohia said: “We don’t know where he arrived at that, because the key thing here is he alleges and it’s for him to establish and prove. Far from it, we are not asking for a N1.5 trillion subsidy. “This is completely ridiculous. We’re not asking for anything like a subsidy. We went into negotiations and are still in negotiations with him to see whether he can bridge that gap.”

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has urged the Dangote Refinery to make its fuel supply more accessible to marketers and to sell products at fair prices. Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television on Wednesday, the association’s spokesperson, Ikem Ohia, emphasized that closer collaboration with the refinery would help guarantee steady fuel supply and eliminate queues nationwide. He dismissed suggestions of a conflict with the refinery, stressing that marketers are only seeking a transparent framework that ensures consistent distribution. “Our key interest is to have petroleum products offered at reasonable prices consistently, in a way that there’s no stock-out and Nigerians no longer queue for fuel,” Ohia stated. While acknowledging the refinery as the dominant supplier, Ohia explained that access and pricing remain the major concerns. “The question is: at what price does he offer us, and do we actually have access to purchase these products from him?” he asked. He pointed out that for over two decades, DAPPMAN members have developed a strong distribution network with depots in Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar, and urged Dangote to take advantage of these facilities. “What we are asking Dangote to do is to use these depots that are already in existence for us to meet the demands of Nigerians,” he said. On claims that marketers were pushing for subsidies, he replied, “We are businessmen; he is a businessman. We’re not asking for subsidies. We went into negotiations and are still negotiating to see how he can bridge the gap.” According to him, global practice shows that refineries usually rely on bulk supply to off-takers alongside retail sales. “Ideally, refineries emphasise bulk evacuation through off-takers who can lift massive quantities and allow continuous production. Relying only on retail gantry sales cannot meet national demand,” he stated. He added that although DAPPMAN approached Dangote before production commenced to request bulk supply, no firm understanding was reached. “Instead, he prefers to work with a few selected partners, which includes one or two of our members. We believe an open system, not a controlled one, will help the country,” he said. On distribution, Ohia noted that many of the association’s members also operate filling stations, some with as many as 300 outlets, but restricted supply has left them unable to meet demand.

The naira yesterday strengthened slightly in the parallel market, appreciating to N1,518 per dollar from N1,520 on Monday. In contrast, it weakened in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM), falling to N1,493.2 per dollar. According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the official exchange rate slipped from N1,491.4 per dollar on Monday to N1,493.2, reflecting a depreciation of N1.8. As a result, the gap between the parallel market and the NFEM rate narrowed to N24.8 per dollar, compared to N28.6 recorded on Monday.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lowered the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 27.5 percent to 27 percent, marking the first rate cut since May 2023. CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, announced the decision on Tuesday at a press briefing in Abuja after the conclusion of the two-day 302nd Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. Cardoso explained that the cut was unanimously agreed upon by committee members following Nigeria’s consistent decline in inflation over the past five months. The MPC also made adjustments to other key monetary instruments: the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) was raised to 45 percent for Deposit Money Banks and 16 percent for Merchant Banks, while the asymmetric corridor was set at +250/-250 basis points around the MPR. The Liquidity Ratio (LR) was, however, retained at 30 percent. The move comes amid repeated calls from industrial stakeholders and manufacturers for downward easing of the MPR to reduce production costs. Nigeria’s inflation rate eased to 21.12 percent in August, marking the fifth consecutive moderation. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also reported that the economy grew by 4.23 percent in the second quarter of 2025, an improvement over the 3.13 percent recorded in the previous quarter. Growth was seen in agriculture, services, industries, and oil sectors, while manufacturing, trade, ICT, and motor assembly contracted. Despite the cut, Nigeria’s interest rate and inflation levels remain among the highest in Africa. Ghana recently reduced its interest rate by 350 basis points to 21.5 percent, with inflation at 11.5 percent, while South Africa maintains a 7 percent rate with inflation at 3.3 percent.