Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Operations at the Nigeria LNG Limited came to a grinding halt on Monday as members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, launched a coordinated shutdown of the company’s facilities across the country.
From NLNG’s gas liquefaction plant on Bonny Island to its corporate head office in Amadi-Ama, Port Harcourt, and offices in Lagos and Abuja, union members blocked access, forcing a suspension of activities at the multibillion-dollar gas company.
The industrial action, which began as early as 5:00am in Bonny, saw union members picketing key NLNG infrastructure, including the industrial area, administrative building, and ancillary service points. Only the Train-7 construction site and essential services were exempted from the shutdown.
Although the protesting workers initially declined to disclose the reason for the action, PENGASSAN Chairman, Port Harcourt Zone, Comrade George Nwoko, later confirmed to SweetCrude Reports that the move was a response to unresolved welfare issues between staff and NLNG management.
“There is a change in our work rotation in NLNG so we have asked them to revert to the status quo. It’s an internal matter between us and the company. We’ve been patient for too long, but management has refused to address some of our pressing welfare concerns,” Nwoko told SweetCrude Reports in an exclusive interview on the telephone.
He listed demands including salary increases and the restoration of a long-standing benefit known as the “100 days” entitlement, which he said has been arbitrarily withdrawn.
“There’s this 100 days stuff our members have been denied for a long time now. Also, the salary structure needs adjustment. Working conditions aren’t favourable anymore, and we’re simply demanding what is fair,” he added.
The union’s action affected not only NLNG staff but also workers of third-party service providers supporting the company’s operations in Bonny Island. Several were turned away at the gates, while others left in frustration after being denied entry.
Efforts to get an official response from NLNG were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. An enquiry sent to the company had not received a reply.
The shutdown marks a rare full-scale industrial action against NLNG, a key player in Nigeria’s gas export sector and a major contributor to the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
Analysts say any prolonged disruption could have ripple effects on LNG supply obligations and the broader economy.
Industry watchers are closely monitoring developments, with calls mounting for urgent dialogue between the company’s management and union leaders to forestall further escalation.
