LAGOS, NIGERIA — The corporate headquarters of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) on Broad Street, Lagos, was brought to a standstill in the early hours of Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Members of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) barricaded the entrances to the facility, preventing staff from accessing their offices in a bold protest against what they describe as institutionalized discrimination and deteriorating welfare standards.
Allegations of 'Modern-Day Slavery' The protesting workers have leveled heavy accusations against SNEPCo management, using flyers and chants to decry a culture of "modern-day slavery." According to union leaders on the ground, the company has implemented a "Best-in-Basin" pay policy that, in reality, keeps Nigerian salaries at poverty levels while expatriate staff receive premium, market-reflective compensation. The workers allege that SNEPCo has ignored local economic peculiarities—such as the high cost of living in Lagos and the devaluation of the Naira—leaving local professionals with "unbearable debt burdens."
Furthermore, the union has raised an alarm over a series of "Non-Accidental Deaths" (NAD) within the company. PENGASSAN claims that these fatalities are the direct result of extreme stress, heavy workloads, and the mental health toll caused by unending corporate reorganizations. "Our members are literally working themselves to death while the management looks the other way," one union representative stated during the lockdown.
Expatriates vs. Locals A major point of contention in this latest industrial action is the alleged systematic replacement of Nigerian professionals with foreign nationals. PENGASSAN asserts that jobs previously held by competent Nigerians are being handed over to expatriates, a move they claim violates the spirit of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act. The workers also accused the company of showing a "conscious bias" in pay benchmarking, where Nigerian staff are excluded from global pay increments that their foreign counterparts enjoy.
The protest also highlighted a perceived decline in SNEPCo’s commitment to the Nigerian industry. Workers pointed out that the company was conspicuously absent as a sponsor at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) held in Abuja last month, opting instead to send a minimal delegation. This, they argue, is a sign of Shell’s "divestment mentality," where they seek to extract maximum profit while minimizing investment in both the sector and the local workforce.
Government Intervention Sought The lockdown caused significant traffic congestion in the Lagos central business district, drawing the attention of passersby and security agencies. While some senior management staff were eventually allowed into the building after hours of negotiation, the core of the protest remains active. PENGASSAN has vowed to continue the picketing until the management agrees to a transparent review of the current pay structure and addresses the "slave-like" conditions of service.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has been called upon to intervene immediately. Union members have warned that if these grievances are not addressed, the protest could spread to Shell's offshore facilities, potentially disrupting Nigeria’s oil production at a time when global energy markets are already reeling from the conflict in the Middle East.
English (US) ·