Nigeria’s crude oil production took a significant hit following the unrest, with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) confirming a loss of over 600,000 barrels in just three days.
The strike, which began after reports that Dangote Industries had dismissed more than 800 workers, quickly spread beyond the refinery, paralysing operations at several critical energy facilities.
According to NNPCL Chief Executive Officer Bayo Ojulari, the strike by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) made “optimum production almost impossible” as technical staff across refineries, terminals, and upstream operations were unavailable.
Ojulari said the walkout by members of the petroleum staff made “optimum production almost impossible.”
“I think it was unfortunate that the Dangote and PENGASSAN issue led to a strike, and whenever there is a strike and critical staff manning critical facilities are not available, optimum production is almost impossible,” Ojulari said after meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Lagos.
“In this particular case, we actually lost significant production of over 200,000 barrels per day that was deferred.”
The loss comes at a delicate time for Nigeria, which has been working to raise output levels after years of underperformance relative to its OPEC quota.
Analysts warn that further disruptions could erode investor confidence and complicate the government’s efforts to attract fresh capital into the oil and gas sector.
