Nigeria’s oil and gas production has not been disrupted despite the ongoing industrial action that has forced the closure of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) offices across the country.
The assurance came on Monday from the commission’s Head of Corporate Communications and Media, Mr. Eniola Akinkuotu, following the nationwide protest by members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The strike, which has brought administrative operations at the commission to a standstill, saw protesting workers barricade the entrance to the NUPRC headquarters over alleged irregularities surrounding foreign training opportunities.
Reacting to the situation, Akinkuotu acknowledged that office activities had been affected but stressed that crude oil and gas production operations remained intact.
“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.
“The top management of the commission is meeting with the unions in order to put an end to the strike and ultimately restore normalcy,” he said.
He further stated that the commission’s regulatory functions, including field supervision and monitoring activities, were continuing despite the disruption in office operations.
Sources familiar with the dispute disclosed that the strike was triggered after talks between management and workers collapsed over disagreements relating to overseas training programmes.
According to the sources, the commission’s management opted to prioritise local training initiatives instead of foreign capacity-development courses, a move that was resisted by the workers.
One employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said management justified its position by arguing that conducting specialised courses within Nigeria would cut costs and enhance local institutional expertise.
The source added that NUPRC officials maintained that training exercises, including programmes connected to Factory Acceptance Tests for Positive Displacement (PD) Meters, should be organised domestically rather than abroad.
The decision, however, was rejected by the workforce, leading to the industrial action and sparking concerns over the possible consequences of a prolonged standoff on the commission’s administrative and regulatory responsibilities.
