The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has attributed the failure of the nation’s state-owned refineries to political interference, corruption, and mismanagement, not a lack of technical expertise among Nigerian workers.
Speaking on Friday at the 4th PENGASSAN and Labour Summit (PEALS 2025) in Abuja, the association’s president, Festus Osifo, stated that refinery workers were denied the tools, resources, and enabling environment necessary to function effectively.
According to him, Nigeria has demonstrated the capacity to manage critical oil and gas infrastructure, recalling how local workers successfully ran offshore platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic after expatriates withdrew.
“The Nigerian worker has proven beyond doubt that we possess the skillset to deliver world-class energy production. What we lack is the enabling environment, consistent policies, and political will to sustain progress,” Osifo said.
The three-day summit, themed “Building a Resilient Oil and Gas Sector in Nigeria: Advancing HSE, ESG, Investment and Incremental Production,” brought stakeholders together to chart solutions for the sector.
Osifo warned that inconsistent petroleum policies continue to erode investor confidence, discouraging critical inflows needed to grow the economy and expand infrastructure.
“We must have an industry that investors can predict in five or ten years. Constantly changing fiscal regimes will only drive away investments and hinder growth,” he cautioned.
He also urged indigenous and international operators to prioritise training and capacity building to ensure Nigerian workers remain globally competitive in a rapidly evolving energy market.
In his goodwill message, the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nuhu Toro, praised PENGASSAN’s foresight, describing the summit as a model platform for strategic engagement.
“This summit is a testament to the foresight and strategic thinking required to navigate industry dynamics and their implications for organised labour,” Toro said, urging other unions to emulate the initiative.
