The House of Representatives has passed a decision to safeguard strategic private investments in Nigeria from future industrial actions.

This follows the recent strike action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, over its dispute with the Dangote Refinery.

The decision was adopted after a motion jointly sponsored by Ado Doguwa and Abdussamad Dasuki was presented on the floor of the House.

The lawmakers, in the motion, highlighted that, the Dangote Refinery is located within a Free Trade Zone, FTZ, and as such, the strike action allegedly violated provisions of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, NEPZA, Act.

The Act stipulates a 10-year no-strike rule for investments operating within FTZs.

The House expressed concern that the recent industrial action may have breached the NEPZA Act and cautioned against the potential consequences such disruptions could have on investor confidence and the country’s economic outlook.

The lawmakers also disclosed the financial losses incurred during the three-day strike and called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene and ensure that such disputes are resolved without jeopardizing vital economic assets.

The House also resolved to work on policy frameworks that will prevent similar occurrences in the future and charged its leadership to engage with stakeholders to address the growing concerns around labour actions affecting major private sector investments.