Dangote, labour impasse sends wrong signal to potential investors – MAN

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has warned that the current impasse between Dangote Refinery and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) could send the wrong signal to potential investors.

Director General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, stated this at a media briefing on the forthcoming 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association in Lagos on Tuesday.

He stated: “The signal that we are sending to the international community is quite unfortunate.

“If a company as big as Dangote Refinery is being dealt with this way, with one trouble after the other – by regulatory agencies, truck drivers, and now PENGASSAN, for an investment of $20 billion, that is mind boggling and it’s something that we shouldn’t allow to fester.

“How would anyone who sees what has been done to Dangote Refinery want to come into this country and invest big?”

Ajayi-Kadir advised the government to step in and ensure that the rule of law prevailed.

“There is a labour issue you have with an organisation, deal with it. There are processes of law, but you are shutting down the country just because you have a disagreement.

“We are having a situation where companies that rely on gas won’t be able to have gas. And the implications are very glaring, factories will not be able to produce, they are likely to suffer cuts in terms of their production schedule. They will not be able to get their goods to the market and may eventually lose market share to imported products that are not suffering this kind of disruption.”

Meanwhile, MAN President, Francis Meshioye, said the forthcoming 53rd AGM of the association will provide an excellent platform to deepen the conversation on the “Nigeria First” Policy, which he described as a decisive strategy to prioritise locally manufactured goods and services.

His words: “The theme for this year’s AGM, “Nigeria First: Prioritizing Patronage of Made in Nigeria”, underscores our unwavering belief that prioritizing local production is the surest path to sustainable growth, employment generation and national development.”

The event is scheduled to hold from Tuesday, 14th to Thursday, 16th October 2025 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Dignitaries expected at the 3-day event include President Bola Tinubu; and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume; while Aliko Dangote will be the Guest Speaker.