The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called for sweeping reforms in the country’s oil sector, urging the Federal Government to adopt a refinery management model similar to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG).
Speaking at the 4th PENGASSAN and Labour Summit in Abuja on Thursday, with the theme “Building a Resilient Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria: Advancing HSE, ESG, Investment and Incremental Production”, PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said government must divest majority ownership of refineries to private operators for efficiency.
“Nigeria has the expertise to run refineries, but political interference and lack of proper tools have crippled performance. Government must divest majority control, just as in NLNG, where private operators hold 51 per cent and government retains 49 per cent,” Osifo said.
He warned that despite Nigeria’s 37 billion barrels in crude reserves, low production of about two million barrels per day leaves the country underutilising its resources. He urged authorities to ramp up drilling and exploration while reinvesting oil revenues in infrastructure, healthcare, and education—citing Dubai’s diversification model as an example.
Osifo commended the recent marginal field bid round, describing it as Nigeria’s most transparent, unlike past exercises marred by political influence and incompetence.
On labour matters, the PENGASSAN leader condemned alleged anti-worker practices, accusing 11PLC of forcing employees to renounce union membership. He vowed the union would resist any attempts to suppress workers’ rights.
Also speaking at the summit, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Felix Ogba, stressed the need for investment in human capital as the foundation for Nigeria’s oil and gas growth.
“Human capacity is the true oil that will sustain Nigeria’s industry for generations,” Ogba said, highlighting the need for stronger STEM education, vocational training, and technology-driven skills to prepare Nigerians for energy transition and automation.
