By Amarachi Jim-Nwoko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Brand new President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Bosun Olabiyi-Agoro, has vowed to make the fight against prolonged contract staffing and casualisation a major priority of his administration.
Olabiyi-Agoro emerged as PENGASSAN President on Saturday, succeeding Festus Osifo, who led the association for six years.
He was unveiled alongside nine other national officers at the conclusion of the association’s Quadrennial National Delegates Conference held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, following the Petroleum and Energy Advancement and Leadership Summit 2026.
A petroleum engineer and labour leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, Olabiyi-Agoro currently works with the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission.
He previously held technical and operational leadership positions at Baker Hughes and EA Temile and Sons and has served the union in several capacities, including Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Oyo State Council; National Financial Secretary of PENGASSAN from 2022 to 2023; National Auditor from 2020 to 2022; and Chairman of the Baker Hughes PENGASSAN Branch from 2016 to 2020.
The election was largely uncontested, with the only disputed position being that of National Auditor I, where Rex Orji of Indorama Petrochemical Company defeated Ese Okusi by 254 votes to 84.
Other elected officers are George Nwoko, Deputy President; Dominic Abang, National Industrial Relations Officer; Amaoge Chukwudi, National Treasurer; Tijani Oyabure, National Financial Secretary; Lavin Aghaunor, National Public Relations Officer; Ada Maryam Mbanaso, National Chairperson, PENGASSAN Women Commission; Chidinma Anyanwu, National Secretary, PENGASSAN Women Commission; and Muhammad Sani Ismail, National Auditor II.
In his acceptance speech, Olabiyi-Agoro paid tribute to his predecessor, describing Osifo as a leader who strengthened PENGASSAN’s influence and defended the interests of its members during his tenure.
He commended Osifo for his role in protecting jobs during divestments, securing collective bargaining agreements and ensuring that PENGASSAN had a stronger voice in government and industry affairs.
The new president, however, said his administration would confront the challenges created by divestments, business restructuring, automation and the global energy transition.
He identified job protection as the first pillar of his administration, promising to negotiate transition agreements, retraining and redeployment programmes for workers affected by changes in the industry.
“In this era of divestments, business reorganisation, automation, and energy transition, no PENGASSAN member will be left behind,” he said.
Olabiyi-Agoro also warned employers against signing collective bargaining agreements without implementing them, declaring that agreements reached with workers must be honoured.
He pledged to maintain constructive relations with employers while resisting practices considered unfair to workers.
“We are not anti-business. We are pro-Nigeria. We want production up, investment in, and Nigerian content protected. But that can only happen when workers are respected and treated fairly,” he said.
The PENGASSAN president also took aim at the continued use of contract workers for jobs that had become permanent, arguing that workers who had performed the same functions for years should not continue to be treated as temporary employees.
“A job that someone has been doing for over two years, five years, 10 years, even 20 years or more cannot be categorised as a temporary position anymore,” he said.
He described prolonged contract staffing as a growing labour and safety concern and vowed that the union would investigate the practice and deploy all available legal and organisational resources to address it.
Beyond job protection, the new administration promised to prioritise digital skills development, leadership training, women’s empowerment and workers’ welfare as the oil and gas industry undergoes rapid technological and structural changes.
Olabiyi-Agoro said PENGASSAN would continue to engage government and industry stakeholders constructively while remaining firm in defending the rights and welfare of Nigerian oil and gas workers.
