The House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved to step in following the escalating dispute between members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the Dangote Refinery, a clash that has disrupted petroleum distribution nationwide.
The decision came after lawmakers considered and adopted a motion of urgent public importance co-sponsored by Kano’s Alhassan Doguwa and Sokoto’s Abdussamad Dasuki during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Titled, “We need to protect private investment from adversarial unionism,” the motion highlighted the strategic importance of the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest privately-owned petroleum refinery.
The conflict between PENGASSAN and the refinery triggered industrial action on September 29, 2025, paralyzing operations at the $20 billion facility.
The standstill also negatively affected Nigeria’s crude oil output, resulting in an estimated daily loss of about 200,000 barrels over three days.
The disruption further worsened the supply of petroleum products nationwide, leading to fuel scarcity and long queues at filling stations in multiple states, imposing significant hardship on millions of Nigerians.
Addressing the motion, Doguwa, representing the Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency in Kano State, emphasized the importance of safeguarding the refinery due to its critical role in the national economy.
He stated, “The House is aware that the Dangote Refinery is a strategic private investment of immense national importance, with the potential to guarantee energy security, reduce import dependency, generate employment, and conserve foreign exchange.”
He also highlighted the legal protections for the refinery, saying, “We are aware that the Dangote Refinery operates within a Free Trade Zone and therefore falls under the regulatory framework of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, particularly Section 18(5) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act, which clearly states that ‘Employment in the free zone shall be governed by rules and regulations made by the Authority and not subject to the provisions of any enactments relating to employment matters.’”
Doguwa further expressed concern over the impact of union actions, noting, “The House is concerned that actions by labour unions that disregard the legal protections conferred on Free Zones under the NEPZA Act not only constitute a breach of law but also create a hostile investment environment that may deter future local and foreign investors.”
He warned, “We are worried that if private investments of strategic national importance are continually subjected to unlawful disruptions by adversarial unionism, Nigeria risks not only the failure of key economic assets but also the erosion of investor confidence necessary for national growth and development.”
In his remarks, Ahmad Jaha, representing Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza Federal Constituency, advised caution, suggesting that calling for a probe, as recommended in the motion, might be premature.
After the motion was adopted, the House urged its leadership to mediate peace between the refinery and PENGASSAN in the nation’s interest.
It also called on the Federal Ministries of Labour and Employment, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Justice to “jointly develop and implement a national framework or set of policies to safeguard private investments of strategic national importance from adversarial and unlawful union actions.”
Additionally, the House directed the Federal Ministry of Justice and NEPZA to ensure full enforcement and adherence to Section 18(5) of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Act across all relevant Free Zone operations.
