Shell workers shut Lagos office, allege pay discrimination

Shell workers shut Lagos office, allege pay discrimination

Workers of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo) on Tuesday staged a protest at the company’s Broad Street office in Lagos, locking the main gate and temporarily restricting access to the premises.

The action, coordinated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), caused traffic congestion in the area as protesting workers blocked vehicular entry into the building.

Eyewitnesses said although some staff members were initially allowed into the premises with their vehicles, protesters later reversed the decision and barred all cars — including those of top company officials — from gaining access.

In a flyer circulated during the protest, the workers accused SNEPCo’s leadership of practising “modern-day slavery,” alleging pay discrimination against Nigerian employees and bias in salary benchmarking.

They faulted the application of the company’s global pay structure in Nigeria without reflecting local economic realities, describing it as a “Best-in-Basin” cost-cutting model that has adversely affected staff welfare and operational engagement.

According to the workers, the cost-control policy has limited the company’s participation in key industry events.

They cited the 2026 Nigeria International Energy Summit in Abuja, where SNEPCo reportedly attended with a five-man delegation instead of participating as a sponsor — a role that typically accommodates about 40 delegates. Organisers were said to have been informed of the change barely a week to the event.

Other industry players, including Nigeria LNG Limited, TotalEnergies Nigeria and Chevron Nigeria Limited, were said to have participated fully.

The protesting staff also decried what they described as non-market-reflective allowances, citing car grants as an example. One worker claimed the N1 million car allowance offered by the company was grossly inadequate given current market prices.

The employees further alleged deteriorating working conditions, heavy workloads and what they described as a growing reliance on expatriates for roles traditionally handled by Nigerians.

They warned that mounting stress, debt burdens and frequent restructuring had negatively impacted staff morale.

A staff member said the decision to barricade the office followed what they described as management’s failure to address longstanding grievances.

They called on the Federal Government to intervene, alleging that the company’s leadership felt insulated from accountability.

The workers also claimed that hybrid work arrangements and internal controls had made it difficult to mobilise staff effectively or draw public attention to their concerns.

SNEPCo, a subsidiary of Shell with operations now largely concentrated in Lagos following its recent divestment activities, remains active in the energy financing space through affiliates such as All On and Daystar Power.

The company has yet to react to the development.