Business
PENGASSAN-Dangote Rift Widens Over Salary Suspension
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stopped the monthly salaries of the engineers sacked in September during its face-off with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria.
In a bid to address this, PENGASSAN said it is engaging the Dangote Group to resolve the matter amicably instead of resorting to another industrial action.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed that the salaries were halted following the refusal of many of the engineers to accept their redeployment to Zamfara, Borno, Benue, and Sokoto states, among others.
Some of the workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, had earlier said individuals were sent to a coal mine in Benue, concrete road construction sites in Borno and Ebonyi states, as well as rice plants in Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
While a few workers were said to have accepted the redeployment, many rejected it, relying on assurances from PENGASSAN that the crisis would be resolved through dialogue.
It was learnt that the Dangote Group issued a warning signal in October by slashing the wages of the affected workers before withholding their November salaries completely.
A senior official of the Dangote Group confirmed to our correspondent that the company would no longer continue paying those who rejected the redeployment offers.
While the affected workers described the non-payment of their salaries as “victimization”, the official, who did not want his name in print due to the lack of authorization to speak on the matter, wondered why the company should keep paying individuals who had refused the alternative placements offered.
“Those whose services were terminated were given an opportunity to work in our other projects, such as rice mills, concrete road construction, and coal mines.
All those who accepted have started working.
“If a newspaper terminates the services of an employee, and if it even goes out of its way to provide alternative employment, but the employee is not interested in availing the alternative employment, will it keep paying his/her salary?” the official said.
Recall that PENGASSAN had shut down oil and gas facilities in September over allegations that 800 refinery workers were fired for volunteering to be members of the union. However, the Dangote refinery said it only sacked a few workers who were sabotaging the facility, describing the exercise as a reorganization.
The shutdown caused nationwide losses in oil and gas production and contributed to a drop in power generation until the Federal Government intervened and directed the redeployment of the affected workers.
In October, the sacked engineers were invited to pick up their letters at the Ikeja office of the Dangote Group. One of the letters sighted by our correspondent was titled ’Offer of Trainee Engagement’ and carried the letterhead of Dangote Projects Limited.
It reads partly: “Based on your performance at the assessment and subsequent interviews held with you, we are pleased to engage you as Engineer Trainee (Mechanical Engineering) for the coal project we are executing at Okpokwu, Benue State. This engagement shall be subject to the following conditions: You will report to your work location within 14 days upon receipt of this letter.
“You will undergo classroom training and hands-on training in the construction, commissioning, and operation of our Coal Project at Okpokwu, Benue State. Your training will be for a period of two years, and it will be reviewed periodically. You will be required to submit reports on your learning and progress. The objective of the training is to impart to you skills and to enable you to take up a position of responsibility in the organization.”
Many of the engineers expressed concerns about the posting, especially to places perceived to be security hot spots. “The issue with the re-employment is that, firstly, there’s no address to report to on that letter. No office to report to in the states we were posted to. Secondly, those are security hot zones.
“Thirdly, in the letter, it is stated that if you don’t report within 14 days, your employment will be terminated, but no office location was given, and they don’t exist when we checked on Google Maps. So, if we accept the letters, we are basically terminating our employment by ourselves because there’s no office in those states to report to. PENGASSAN has basically told us not to accept the letters. We should let them continue with their talks,” they told The PUNCH.
Speaking during a briefing last week, the PENGASSAN President, Festus Osifo, said the union was still engaging the Dangote refinery to have the issues resolved.
Osifo said, “Since our last national industrial action, we have been engaging them in a lot of conversations, but the issues are not fully resolved. There are still a lot of pending issues. The NEC decided that, yes, let us still continue that process by pushing those issues by engaging in a dialogue to resolve the issues, and by also engaging all our social partners and stakeholders to get the issues resolved. And we hope and pray that these issues will be resolved at the table.
“These issues should be resolved in mere jaw-jaw so that we will not go back to Egypt. But as PENGASSAN, you know, we don’t shy away from doing what is right. But our preference is to get the subject resolved over the negotiation table.”
Petrol and cooking gas prices declined year-on-year in December 2025, signalling a gradual easing of household energy costs, according to separate reports released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Naija News reports that data from the bureau showed that both Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), commonly used for cooking, and Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, recorded notable price reductions compared with December 2024, alongside modest month-on-month declines.
The NBS noted that while the downward trend was observed across most states and geopolitical zones, prices continued to vary widely depending on location.
5kg Of Cooking Gas Price Drops By 25%
According to the report, the average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of LPG declined by 1.20 per cent month-on-month, falling from ₦5,425.78 in November 2025 to ₦5,360.43 in December 2025.
On a year-on-year basis, the price fell sharply by 25.31 per cent, down from ₦7,177.27 recorded in December 2024.
Confirming the trend, the NBS stated, “The average retail price for refilling a 5kg cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Cooking Gas) decreased by 1.20 per cent on a month-on-month basis,” adding that the year-on-year decline stood at 25.31 per cent.”
A state-level analysis showed that Kaduna recorded the highest average price for refilling a 5kg cylinder at ₦5,838.66, followed by Jigawa at ₦5,825.09 and Osun at ₦5,777.80.
On the lower end, Katsina recorded the cheapest average price at ₦4,855.80.
Similarly, the average retail price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder of LPG fell by 0.74 per cent month-on-month, declining from ₦13,538.79 in November 2025 to ₦13,438.90 in December 2025.
Year-on-year, the price dropped by 22.20 per cent from ₦17,274.16 recorded in December 2024.
On a state-by-state basis, Abia recorded the highest average price for refilling a 12.5kg cylinder at ₦14,489.96, followed by Osun at ₦14,444.50 and Delta at ₦14,393.17, the bureau said.
Petrol Price Dips To ₦1,048
The NBS also reported a decline in the average retail price of petrol.
According to the report, the average price of Premium Motor Spirit stood at ₦1,048.63 in December 2025, representing an 11.81 per cent decrease compared with ₦1,189.12 recorded in December 2024.
The bureau stated, “The average retail price paid by consumers for Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) for December 2025 was ₦1,048.63.”
On a month-on-month basis, petrol prices declined by 1.20 per cent, down from ₦1,061.35 recorded in November 2025.
Further analysis showed that Kogi State recorded the highest average petrol price at ₦1,104.45, while Oyo State had the lowest at ₦996.55.
Regionally, the North East emerged as the most expensive zone for petrol, while the South West recorded the lowest average prices.
Nigeria’s naira recorded one of its strongest performances in months on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, appreciating sharply against the US dollar at the official foreign exchange window amid improving liquidity and rising confidence in the country’s FX reforms.
The local currency strengthened to around ₦1,400 per dollar at the official market, marking its firmest level since the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN implemented sweeping FX reforms.
The move signals easing pressure on the naira and renewed optimism among investors and market participants.
According to the CBN’s daily foreign exchange report, the naira closed at ₦1,401.22 per dollar, representing a 1.27 percent appreciation on the day.
Market operators described the move as a reflection of improved dollar supply and stronger participation by banks and other authorised dealers.
Traders said the official window saw increased volumes, with the improved liquidity helping to narrow volatility and reduce speculative demand.
The latest performance reinforces the view that the reforms aimed at unifying exchange rates and improving price discovery are beginning to yield results.
The positive momentum extended to the parallel market, where the naira also posted modest gains.
Channel checks showed the local currency appreciating by about 0.33 per cent to trade around ₦1,476 per dollar. While the gap between the official and parallel rates remains, analysts say the narrowing spread reflects improving confidence across both the regulated and informal segments of the FX market.
According to a report by MarketForces Africa, reduced arbitrage opportunities and stronger supply conditions are helping to stabilise pricing.
The naira’s rally comes against the backdrop of rising external reserves, which have strengthened the CBN’s ability to intervene when necessary and support market liquidity.
Higher reserves are widely viewed as a key confidence signal for foreign investors, particularly portfolio investors who remain sensitive to currency risk.
Market watchers say consistent inflows from export earnings, improved remittance flows, and cautious monetary management have all contributed to the improved outlook for the naira in recent weeks.
Clarivo Oil and Gas, led by Chief Obidike Chukwuebuka, has announced plans to build a world-class oil refinery in Calabar, Cross River State, aimed at boosting Nigeria’s downstream oil and gas sector.
Speaking to journalists, Chief Obidike said the project will be implemented in phases, in collaboration with foreign partners to bring advanced technical expertise and international industry standards.
The planned refinery will feature state-of-the-art technologies, including crude distillation, catalytic cracking, and hydrotreating units, enabling the production of high-quality petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel.
The phased approach will begin with feasibility studies and front-end engineering design, followed by construction of core processing units, and conclude with installation of secondary units and commissioning.
Chief Obidike noted that the refinery aims to increase domestic refining capacity, reduce dependence on imported petroleum products, and enhance Nigeria’s energy security. He added that the project is expected to create significant employment across engineering, construction, operations, and logistics, while facilitating technology transfer through partnerships with international EPC contractors and investors.
On funding, he revealed that agreements with foreign stakeholders are being finalized to provide both technical and financial support. The refinery is projected to come online within five years, following the completion of all project phases and regulatory approvals.
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