Nigeria: Oil Workers Raise the Alarm Over Abuse of Expatriate Quotas By Foreign Firms

16 September 2024
Leadership (Abuja)
By Adegwu John

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has vowed to take decisive action against foreign oil companies, particularly those of Indian origin, that are allegedly abusing Nigeria's expatriate quota system.

According to the expatriate quota administer by the ministry of interior, the quota system specifies the number of expatriates a company is allowed to employ, usually for specific roles where the required skills are not readily available within the Nigerian labour market.

But Speaking in Abuja PENGASSAN President, Comrade Festus Osifo raised concerns over the growing presence of expatriates in the Nigerian oil and gas sector.

According to Osifo, despite ongoing discussions with stakeholders, including the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), there has been little progress in addressing the issue.

He stated that some companies are reportedly employing more Indian nationals than Nigerians, even for low-level jobs such as vulcanizing and plant operations, which could otherwise be filled by qualified Nigerian workers.

The PENGASSAN President further criticised the practice of Indian companies registering multiple entities to circumvent expatriate quotas and increase the number of foreign workers in their operations.

Osifo also expressed concern over the disparity in compensation between Nigerian workers and their foreign counterparts, noting that many of the expatriates are paid in U.S. dollars while Nigerians are grappling with the effects of currency devaluation.

"We have raised this subject before now with NCBN that let us not abuse our expatriate quota, today Nigerians are looking for jobs, today, graduates are drawn up from universities year in, year out, month in, month out, they are looking for work to do, but we keep granting expatriate quota to these Indian companies and they have abused it, we are coming for them.

"As senior staff representatives in the oil and gas industry, we don't just come out and start shouting no, we carry out a lot of stakeholder engagement and we have done that for the past almost two years now, but there is no result, so what is done there for us might probably be confrontation."

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