Work resumes as NUPRC workers suspend strike

Work has fully resumed at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) following the suspension of a one-day strike by its workers. The industrial action, which began on Monday over welfare and administrative concerns, led to the closure of NUPRC offices across the country.

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Work has fully resumed at the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission following the suspension of the one-day strike called by workers’ unions.

The strike was called off on the night of June 1, 2026, after successful negotiations between the NUPRC's top management and representatives from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). The commission stated that the industrial action lasted only 12 hours and did not impact regulatory oversight of oil and gas facilities.

Key demands from the aggrieved workers included a review of the cost-of-collection structure, particularly the one percent allocation to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, which they argued weakened the upstream regulator's efficiency and financial capacity. They also accused the commission of adopting an operator-style approach to regulation and expressed dissatisfaction with inadequate attention to staff development and career progression.

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The industrial action was called off on the night of June 1, 2026, after successful negotiations between the top management of the NUPRC and the two in-house unions – the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers.

The NUPRC clarified that the strike affected only administrative work and dismissed reports suggesting disruptions to crude oil production or that the dispute was primarily about foreign training opportunities. Operational staff were exempted from the industrial action, ensuring that regulatory activities remained unaffected.

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The strike, which lasted for 12 hours, affected only administrative work while regulatory activities in oil and gas facilities remained unaffected.