Vice President Kashim Shettima has waded into the ongoing industrial dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), calling for restraint, patriotism, and dialogue in resolving the crisis.
The Vice President said the country or any organisation shouldn’t be seen to sabotage efforts of a firm as Dangote Refinery over an issue with a union that can be easily resolved through dialogue.
Speaking at the opening of the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31) in Abuja on Monday, Shettima described Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, as “not just an individual but an institution”, urging Nigerians to protect and promote the multi-billion-dollar refinery as a national economic asset.
“Aliko Dangote is not an individual. This is an institution. We must be united in protecting Nigeria’s economic power,” the Vice President said. “If he had invested $10 billion in Microsoft, Amazon, or Google, he would probably be worth $78 billion today. But he chose to invest in this country, and we must treat that investment as a generational asset.”
Shettima appealed to both the labour union and the management of the refinery to approach the dispute with “caution, retrospection, and a deeper sense of patriotism,” stressing that industrial disagreements should not jeopardize national economic progress.
“We owe it a duty to generously protect, promote, and preserve this refinery,” he stated. “Both labour and the private sector must work together to strengthen relations in the interest of sustaining and improving economic growth. You don’t prove a point by threatening the survival of an institution that serves national interest.”
The Vice President reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to fostering a business environment that encourages industrial harmony, investment confidence, and inclusive growth. He noted that the administration was “bypassing old bureaucratic protocols” to take a more active role in shaping market conditions that attract private capital and drive national productivity.
Shettima emphasised unity and shared responsibility, describing Nigeria as “a great country in search of solutions to its challenges” and urging all stakeholders to prioritize dialogue over confrontation.
