The House of Representatives on Tuesday 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 disrupted petroleum product distribution across the country.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance co-sponsored by Alhassan Doguwa (Kano) and Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto) during plenary. The motion was titled: “Need to Protect Private Investment from Adversarial Unionism.”
The lawmakers highlighted the strategic importance of the $20 billion Dangote Refinery — Africa’s largest private refinery — and expressed concern over the implications of the dispute for national energy security.
The industrial action, which began on September 29, 2025, reportedly caused a daily production loss of 200,000 barrels of crude oil over a three-day period, compounding fuel scarcity and creating long queues at petrol stations nationwide.
Doguwa, who represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, described the refinery as a “strategic private investment of immense national importance,” with the capacity to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports, conserve foreign exchange, create jobs, and guarantee energy security.
He noted that the Dangote Refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone and is regulated by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA). Citing Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act, he stressed that employment matters within Free Zones fall under the Authority’s jurisdiction — not general labour laws.
“The actions by labour unions that disregard these legal protections constitute a breach of the law and foster a hostile investment environment that could deter future investors,” Doguwa said.
He warned that continued disruption of private investments of strategic importance could undermine key economic assets and erode investor confidence.
However, in his contribution, Ahmad Jaha (Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza) cautioned the House against rushing to conclusions, saying the call for a probe might be premature.
Following deliberations, the House urged its leadership to mediate between PENGASSAN and the Dangote Group in the interest of national stability.
It also called on the Federal Ministries of Labour and Employment; Industry, Trade and Investment; and Justice to jointly develop a national policy framework to protect strategic private investments from unlawful or adversarial union actions.
Additionally, it tasked the Ministry of Justice and NEPZA with ensuring full enforcement of Section 18(5) of the NEPZA Act in all Free Zone operations.
