Operations at the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) in Ekpan, Delta State, have come to a grinding halt as support staff under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) extend their strike into its sixth consecutive day. The protesting workers, mostly casual staff, are demanding improved welfare packages and formal recognition as critical contributors to the national oil infrastructure.
The aggrieved refinery workers, who have been staging a sit-in at the refinery gate since Monday, insist they will not call off the industrial action until their demands are met. They allege that entrenched interests and “cabals” within the oil and gas sector are deliberately frustrating the revival of the country’s moribund refineries.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the protest’s lead coordinator, Dafe Ighomitedo, described the workers’ plight as “modern-day slavery,” citing disparities in pay between casual and permanent staff despite their years of dedicated service.
“We’ve sacrificed our youthful years to ensure this refinery stays afloat. Yet, we’re treated like second-class citizens with peanuts for salaries,” Ighomitedo said.
He further accused the NNPCL management of delaying reforms and urged the newly appointed Group Chief Executive Officer, Bashir Ojulari, to personally intervene. According to Ighomitedo, while WRPC management claims to be awaiting directives from Abuja, the workers believe there’s a coordinated effort to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s oil sector reform agenda.
“Management keeps shifting blame, saying the file is with Abuja. But we know some people don’t want this refinery to work because they benefit from fuel importation,” he alleged.
The protesters are demanding improved working conditions, healthcare coverage, salary parity with permanent staff, and career progression opportunities. Their grievances highlight deeper systemic issues surrounding casualisation and poor labour practices in Nigeria’s oil industry.
Industry observers say the timing of the strike could further delay the rehabilitation efforts at the Warri refinery, one of Nigeria’s three state-owned refineries being revamped to reduce dependency on imported petroleum products. Despite billions of naira already spent on repairs, WRPC has remained largely inactive, with full-scale operations yet to resume.
Calls have intensified for Ojulari to include the welfare of contract and casual workers in his broader reform roadmap. Workers warn that without addressing the manpower component, any infrastructural investment would yield minimal results.
“Without us, this refinery can’t function—no matter how much money is pumped into it,” Ighomitedo emphasized.
Civil society groups and labour unions have also begun rallying support for the protesting workers. Some have criticized NNPCL’s approach, calling for transparency and immediate policy action to end exploitative employment practices in the sector.
Efforts to reach NNPCL’s corporate communications unit for an official response proved unsuccessful as at press time.
Meanwhile, economic analysts warn that prolonged inactivity at Warri refinery could compound Nigeria’s fuel supply woes, especially amid rising global crude oil prices and inflationary pressures.
As the protest intensifies, all eyes are now on the NNPCL management and the federal government to offer a swift resolution and restore public confidence in the refinery revitalisation initiative—a key part of President Tinubu’s economic recovery strategy.