Dangote-PENGASSAN feud takes a new turn as long fuel queues resurfaced in parts of Lagos and Abuja this week, sparking fresh concerns of scarcity and public frustration after months of relative stability in the downstream sector.
ENigeria News reports that from September 30 through October 1, 2025, motorists reported difficulties accessing petrol, with some filling stations halting sales despite having product earlier in the day.
A visit to NNPC and Bovas stations in the Ojodu axis of Lagos on Wednesday confirmed that while fuel was available in the morning, sales were suspended by early afternoon, forcing drivers to search elsewhere.
Commuters also took to social media to vent their frustrations. One Lagos resident, Tutu (@Tutu40503013), said she had visited four stations without success, only to find queues already forming at a fifth location.
“Abeg, what is happening… fuel scarcity looming? Been to like 4 filling stations already… the 4th one stopped selling at some point, and we had to go and look for another. By the time we got to the next, the queue had already started building up. Pengassan e da kun o,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In Abuja, similar scenes played out. Retson Tedheke (@RetsonTedheke01) posted an image on September 30 showing vehicles lined up at a TotalEnergies station, while another user, Nipelomo (@omoagberi), shared a video of queues at an AP outlet with the caption: “Fuel queue hit Abuja.”
The sudden disruption comes just months after the commissioning of the Dangote Refinery, which had been credited with easing supply bottlenecks and stabilizing fuel availability nationwide.
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Industry insiders link the return of queues to an ongoing dispute between the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The row escalated after PENGASSAN alleged mass sackings at the refinery — a claim denied by Dangote Group, which said only a small number of employees were affected as part of a reorganisation aimed at securing operations.
In response, PENGASSAN on September 26 directed its members across key oil and gas firms — including Shell, Chevron, Seplat, Oando, NGIC, and TotalEnergies — to suspend crude and gas supplies to Dangote Refinery, as well as vessel loading operations, citing grievances over workers’ unionization rights.
Dangote Group described the move as “unlawful and disruptive,” warning it could cripple the production and distribution of critical fuels such as petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas.
Following a two-day conciliation meeting in Abuja, the Federal Government brokered a truce, with PENGASSAN agreeing to suspend its strike action. Details of the resolution have yet to be fully disclosed, but the intervention is expected to ease immediate supply pressures.
Analysts, however, caution that the episode highlights Nigeria’s continued vulnerability to labour disputes in its energy sector, despite recent investments in local refining capacity.
