The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly condemned a directive issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) instructing its branches to halt crude oil and gas supply to the refinery.
In a statement signed on Saturday, September 27, 2025, Dangote Refinery described the move as “a brazen display of lawlessness and criminality,” warning that the directive amounts to economic sabotage with grave consequences for Nigeria’s economy and citizens.
PENGASSAN had, in a letter dated September 26, ordered its branches in major oil companies—including Total Energies, Seplat, Chevron, Oando, Shell Nigeria Gas (SNG), Renaissance, and the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC)—to cut off gas and crude supply to Dangote Refinery and halt loading operations for vessels headed there.
Dangote Refinery said the directive, if implemented, would not only disrupt supply contracts it has with third-party vendors but also inflict severe hardship on Nigerians by halting the production of essential petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel, and cooking gas.
“PENGASSAN has no legal right to interfere with or disrupt our contracts with suppliers. This action is criminal, reckless, and amounts to economic sabotage against both the refinery and the Nigerian state,” the statement read.
The company noted that the refinery—Africa’s largest—should be regarded as a strategic national asset, stressing that any disruption to its operations could discourage foreign investment in the country’s oil and gas sector.
Dangote Refinery also called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene urgently, describing PENGASSAN’s directive as “a national embarrassment” and warning of “irreparable injury” to Nigeria’s energy stability.
“This fight is not just for Dangote Refinery but for all Nigerians who depend on these products daily. The Association must be called to order and encouraged to pursue legal means to resolve disputes, not criminal disruption,” the statement added.