NUPRC Operations Paralyzed as Oil Workers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Training Dispute

Operations at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) have been paralysed nationwide following an indefinite strike declared by oil workers under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

The industrial action, which began on Monday, has forced a complete shutdown of activities at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja and all its field offices across the country, effectively halting regulatory functions in Nigeria’s upstream oil sector.

Confirming the development, the spokesman of the commission, Eniola Akinkuotu, said administrative activities were affected but assured that oil and gas production facilities had not been impacted.

“It is true that some administrative activities were affected today due to industrial action taken by the unions. However, this has not in any way impacted activities in oil and gas facilities or production in general,” Akinkuotu said.

He added that top management was meeting with the unions to resolve the dispute and restore normalcy.

The workers are protesting a disagreement with management over staff training programmes, particularly a shift from overseas capacity-building initiatives to locally organised training for specialised technical programmes.

A source within the commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strike was triggered by a directive that certain technical training, especially those tied to Factory Acceptance Tests for Positive Displacement meters, should be conducted within Nigeria rather than abroad.

“The shutdown affects both headquarters and field operations nationwide. The disagreement centres on foreign training programmes, and workers are not comfortable with the new approach,” the source said.

Management is pushing for local training as a cost-saving measure, while workers argue that overseas training provides superior technical exposure for the highly specialised regulatory functions of the commission.

Sources: The Sun, ThisDay