Nigeria has lost over 600,000 barrels of oil due to a three-day nationwide strike by oil workers over mass layoffs at the Dangote refinery, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has confirmed.
The strike, called by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), resulted in a deferred production of about 200,000 barrels per day, making optimum production almost impossible due to the absence of critical staff from facilities.
The union is protesting the dismissal of around 800 refinery workers, claiming the sackings were retaliation for unionising, while Dangote Industries insists they were part of a restructuring plan and accused dismissed staff of “acts of sabotage”.
The strike has threatened to tighten fuel supplies both domestically and in the region, just as Nigeria’s oil sector was showing signs of recovery.
