PENGASSAN warns of looming oil workers’ exodus

Nigeria’s premier oil and gas union has warned that without an immediate upward review of workers’ salaries to cushion the economic shocks of naira devaluation and soaring inflation, the country may soon witness a massive exodus of top-tier professionals in the oil and gas sector.

Speaking at the union’s end-of-year National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja, the President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Comrade Festus Osifo, said the industry is dangerously close to a talent drain that could cripple its operations and competitiveness.

He emphasised that the global mobility of oil and gas expertise makes Nigerian professionals highly sought after, especially at a time when domestic wages have been eroded by persistent economic pressures.

“Our skills are unique and required everywhere in the world,” Osifo said. “A drilling engineer in Nigeria is doing the same job as a drilling engineer in the United States or Abu Dhabi. A well-performance engineer in Gulf of Mexico has the same skill as a well-performance engineer in Gulf of Guinea, here in Nigeria. So, what that means is that when devaluation occurs, we realize that we must do everything possible to prevent that. Otherwise, the brain drain that we have seen in some other sectors will just be a child’s play.”

He warned that the sector risks losing its brightest minds almost immediately because the global oil and gas labour market is extremely fluid. According to him, “Because with the click of a finger, members can find themselves in any part of the world to work. In this industry, the company that operates here goes for the best.”

Highlighting the calibre of talent in Nigeria’s energy sector, Osifo noted that companies consistently recruit high-performing graduates whose skills remain attractive internationally. “When you go to a particular department in a particular company, oil and gas industry, maybe if you have 200 staff in that department, you’d be surprised that you have nothing less than 50 or 60 first class,” he said. “Because the oil and gas industry recruits the best. So, the same way they recruit the best, we challenge them to provide the best condition of service.”

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He accused some companies of “foot-dragging” despite the severe impact of inflation and currency devaluation on workers’ livelihoods. “Even with massive devaluation, some still don’t want to fix the remuneration of our members. We are calling on them to do the needful,” he insisted. “We will push without holding back, using everything in our arsenal to ensure the right thing is done.”

On ongoing industrial relations issues, particularly with the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals, Osifo said several matters remained unresolved despite prolonged engagement. He stressed that the NEC had decided to intensify pressure for a negotiated settlement.

“There are still a lot of pending issues. The NEC decided that we must consummate the process by pushing these issues and resolving them through dialogue. Our preference is to resolve them at the negotiation table.”

Osifo also broadened the discussion to national security, issuing a sharp critique of the government’s handling of terrorism and persistent insecurity. He questioned repeated claims that authorities know the sponsors of terror groups but have failed to expose or prosecute them. “We have heard severally when they tell us that they know the sponsors of these terrorists. The question is that, where are these sponsors? Why have you not named these sponsors? Why have you not exposed these sponsors? Why have you not gone after them, get them convicted to serve as deterrence to others?” he asked.

The union leader lamented the ongoing tragedies Nigerians face, saying the cycle of condolences and condemnations is no longer acceptable. “We are tired of always having one minute silence for our brothers and our sisters, we are tired of always coming up to keep condemning. Beyond condemnation, beyond rhetorics, let the government, even if it takes us to look at those sectors that are not critical — we can go to National Assembly and divert the funds that are made for the sectors that are not critical, divert it and use it to buy sophisticated equipment to go after these terrorists.”

He argued that security is the foundation of meaningful national development. “It is the country that is safe, able to protect its citizens, that will be talking about construction of roads, investment in any other sector. The first thing is security.”

Osifo also condemned the longstanding reluctance to decentralise policing, questioning why the safety of the vast majority should be compromised because of political fears held by a tiny fraction of the population. “Politicians are less than 0.1% of the population. Are you saying because of them the 99.9% should remain in harm’s way?” he queried. “For us, governments should be serious about this. It is not about rhetorics. Where we need partnership with international community, the government should do everything possible to partner with international community.”

While acknowledging the need for international collaboration, he maintained that the primary responsibility for securing the nation rests with Nigeria itself. “We strongly believe that there is no country in the world that will go to solve our problem. Our problem will be solved by us. Yes, we can ask for assistance, partnership but we are the ones that will take the lead. So we must brace up, be strong. The government must act decisively, these kidnappings must stop.”

On the economy, Osifo criticised the disconnect between government macroeconomic claims and the harsh realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. He questioned the celebration of improving statistics when living costs remain unbearably high. “Inflation numbers are coming down, but in the market prices are not coming down. With ₦100,000, what you bring out is almost next to nothing,” he said.

He urged closer alignment between fiscal and monetary authorities to ensure that economic improvements translate into real household relief. “It is not sufficient to say exchange rate is coming down or revenue targets have been met. What the average Nigerian wants to see is how this translates to food on the table.”

Osifo assured members that PENGASSAN would intensify engagements with the Ministries of Finance, Petroleum Resources, Labour, and other key institutions to advocate for better welfare and working conditions. “We will do everything possible to ensure that the lives of our members are better off,” he affirmed.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE