Fuel queues re-emerge in Lagos despite Dangote, PENGASSAN dispute settlement

Fuel queues resurfaced in Lagos on Thursday despite the resolution of the standoff between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

BusinessDay checks showed long lines of cars at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) retail station in Ikoyi, outlets around Oyingbo, and the MRS station at Alapere. Similar scenes were observed along the Epe axis, even as stations in Abuja remained unaffected, with operations running normally.

The return of scarcity has unsettled residents who had enjoyed months of stability in supply following Dangote Refinery’s entry into the domestic market. Some motorists reported that filling stations selling fuel in the morning stopped dispensing by afternoon, sparking a scramble for alternatives.

The frustration spilled onto social media, with users venting over the sudden queues.

“Why are fuel queues returning despite no change in price? It’s still N865–N870,” one user, @Ayobekee_Jnr, wrote. Another, @iamkayodea, added: “Dangote and PENGASSAN are fighting, but it’s the rest of poor Nigerians that have to wait in long queues for fuel.”

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The queues follow disruptions caused by PENGASSAN’s strike order on September 26, when the union accused Dangote Refinery of sacking over 800 workers and blocking unionisation efforts.

The directive halted crude and gas deliveries to the refinery and suspended vessel loading operations, with orders extended to branch leaders across oil majors including TotalEnergies, Chevron, Shell, Oando, Seplat, and NGIC.

Dangote Refinery denied the claims, describing the strike as unlawful and a threat to the supply of petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas nationwide.

After two days of talks in Abuja chaired by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Dingyadi, the federal government brokered a truce, with PENGASSAN agreeing to suspend its strike and Dangote pledging to redeploy disengaged workers elsewhere within the Group.

However, the aftershocks of the disruption are now being felt on Lagos roads, where queues are mounting once again, raising fears of renewed scarcity.

Faith Esifiho

Faith Esifiho is an Energy correspondent at BusinessDay, covering Nigeria's electricity sector, oil and gas industry, and energy policy. She reports on power outages, electricity tariffs, gas sector reforms, and the broader challenges facing the country's energy transition. She specializes in data-led reporting and human-angle stories that examine how energy policies affect everyday Nigerians and also tracks trends in the power sector, analyses regulatory changes, and investigates the impact of subsidy reforms and pricing policies.