PENGASSAN Warns Against Job Losses In Oil, Gas Divestment

…says workers not commodities, queries frequent alterations to PIA

The President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, has warned oil and gas companies against treating workers as disposable commodities in the wake of acquisitions, divestments and other major changes in the industry.

Osifo, who spoke at the 5th PENGASSAN Energy and Labour Summit (PELS) 2026, also called for urgent reforms to Nigeria’s regulatory framework to restore investor confidence, attract fresh capital and boost oil and gas production.

He said workers’ jobs, pensions, collective bargaining agreements and other established rights must be protected whenever oil and gas assets change ownership.

The summit, themed “Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks as a Catalyst for Stability and Growth in Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry,” brought together labour leaders, government officials, regulators, operators, investors and other industry stakeholders to deliberate on the future of the sector.

Osifo said the theme was deliberately chosen because Nigeria’s oil and gas industry required a predictable, transparent, efficient and fair regulatory environment to unlock investment and protect workers.

He said: “Licencing and assets may change hands, but workers are not commodities to be discarded at will. When major acquisitions and divestments occur, jobs, pensions, collective bargaining agreements and other established rights of workers must be protected.”

Osifo stressed that worker protection must remain part of the architecture of industry stability, warning that the pursuit of investment and increased production must not come at the expense of workers’ safety and welfare.

“Regulation…