The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has led a group of 12 prominent Nigerians in intervening in the recent crisis between the Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
In a joint statement, the group stressed the importance of protecting workers’ rights to unionise while cautioning against actions that could harm investor confidence and national productivity. They warned that recent strikes sent negative signals to investors and could threaten Nigeria’s fragile economic recovery.
Kukah and his co-signatories—including Aisha Yesufu, Arunma Oteh, Atedo Peterside, and Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II—commended the Federal Government and Dangote Refinery for resolving the dispute through dialogue. They urged both labour and management to adopt peaceful negotiation as a model for future engagements.
The statement described the Dangote Refinery as a national symbol of industrial progress, noting that petrol prices had dropped by over 50% in some areas since it began operations. It, however, cautioned against monopolistic practices, urging aggrieved parties to channel complaints through statutory bodies like the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) rather than resorting to strikes.
Meanwhile, NNPCL Group CEO Bayo Ojulari linked the recent gas scarcity and price hike to the refinery–PENGASSAN standoff, revealing that the strike cost the country about 200,000 barrels of crude oil production per day.
The group concluded that the refinery crisis was not merely a labour dispute but a test of Nigeria’s commitment to building an economy driven by productivity, fairness, and investor confidence.
