BREAKING: PENGASSAN strike shuts down NNPCL, NUPRC, NMDPRA offices nationwide

The nationwide strike launched on Monday by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, brought operations at major oil and gas regulatory bodies to a standstill, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NUPRC, and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA.

The industrial action, sanctioned over the weekend by the union’s National Executive Council, saw members across the country withdraw their services, effectively shutting down agencies critical to Nigeria’s energy sector.

At the NUPRC headquarters in Abuja, our correspondent observed the main gate locked, leaving staff unable to gain entry. Security personnel confirmed that no employees were permitted inside, in strict adherence to the union’s directive.

A similar situation was recorded at the NMDPRA head office in the Central Business District, where all activities were suspended as workers fully complied with the strike.

Confirming the scale of compliance, PENGASSAN Chairman at NMDPRA, Tony Iziogba, stated that the action had achieved “100 per cent compliance,” restricting access to both staff and visitors. He further noted that enforcement was equally effective at the NNPCL and other key agencies.

The union explained that the strike was compelled by what it described as the wrongful dismissal of roughly 800 workers at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.