A combined photo of Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN logos
By Victory Oghene
The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has lashed out at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) for directing its members to cut off gas and crude oil supplies to the refinery.
Dangote refinery described the move as “lawless, criminal, and a threat to national security.”
The refinery, in a statement on Saturday, September 27, 2025, said it had received reports that PENGASSAN instructed branches at TotalEnergies E&P, Seplat Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas, and NGIC to immediately halt gas supply and shut crude oil valves to Dangote refinery.
Dangote refinery said the move amounted to economic sabotage and warned it could trigger widespread fuel shortages, disrupt the supply of petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, and cooking gas, and cause hardship for millions of Nigerians.
It stated: “This is a brazen, albeit shocking display of lawlessness and criminality by PENGASSAN.
“Absolutely no law gives PENGASSAN the right to direct its branches to ‘cut off’ gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all. There is also no law in our statute books that would support or enable the PENGASSAN branches having to ‘cut off’ gas and crude oil supplies to Dangote Refinery or at all.
“Besides, it constitutes a criminal conduct for PENGASSAN or its members to disrupt and/or interfere howsoever in the contract between Dangote Refinery and its various vendors for the supply of gas and crude oil to the Refinery.
“Those supply contracts were not entered into with PENGASSAN; they were entered into by Dangote Refinery with third-party vendors and suppliers and PENGASSAN has no right whatsoever to disrupt and/or interfere with the performance of those contracts.”
The company, therefore, called on the federal government, security agencies, and other authorities to intervene urgently and “call the association to order” before its directive leads to nationwide disruptions.
Describing itself as one of the largest contributors to Nigeria’s revenue, Dangote refinery warned that halting operations would have “grave consequences” for government finances and investor confidence in the country’s oil and gas sector.
The refinery also urged Nigerians to resist the move, saying the directive would impose “unimaginable hardship” on households across the country.
