The management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has clarified that a workforce reorganisation was necessary following repeated cases of sabotage within the refinery.
The refinery, on Friday, stated that the restructuring exercise was aimed at safeguarding its operations and ensuring the safety of employees, stressing that the decision was not arbitrary but driven by urgent security and efficiency concerns.
“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify recent reports concerning the ongoing reorganisation within its facility. This exercise is not arbitrary. It has become necessary to safeguard the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency,” the statement read.
According to the company, intermittent sabotage incidents had been recorded in different units of the refinery, posing potential risks to human life and disrupting critical operations.
The management described these breaches as “dire” and warned that the facility could face long-term instability without decisive action.
The company, however, reassured Nigerians that its workforce remains largely intact. It confirmed that over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work at the refinery, and only “a very small number of staff” were affected by the restructuring.
“Over 3,000 Nigerians continue to work actively in our petroleum refinery at present. Only a very small number of staff were affected, as we continue to recruit Nigerian talent through our various graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitment process,” the management said.
The clarification comes amid speculations earlier in the week that the refinery, one of Africa’s largest industrial projects, had embarked on mass retrenchments. Labour unions and industry watchers had raised concerns that the sack of employees could affect not only livelihoods but also broader confidence in the facility.
Industry analysts note that the Dangote Refinery, which began limited operations earlier this year, is a critical part of Nigeria’s push toward energy independence.
With a daily refining capacity of 650,000 barrels, the plant is expected to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products and reshape energy supply across Africa.
The company emphasised that the refinery remains committed to upholding workers’ rights and international labour standards, including employees’ freedom to join unions.
“We recognise and uphold internationally accepted labour principles, including the right of every worker to freely decide whether or not to join a union. Our commitment to workers’ rights is unwavering,” it said.
Recall sacked workers, union tells Dangote Refinery
Meanwhile, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has issued an ultimatum to the management of Dangote Refinery to recall Nigerian workers it allegedly sacked and replaced with foreign nationals.
This was contained in a statement signed by Mr. Lumumba Okugbawa, General Secretary of PENGASSAN, and made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
The union condemned the action and described it as anti-labour and a violation of Nigeria’s labour laws. According to the association, the refinery engaged more than 2,000 Indian workers, many of whom allegedly lack valid immigration documentation, to take over the jobs of the disengaged Nigerians.
“We are deeply saddened to report the unjust termination of more than 800 Nigerian workers, whose dedication and service have been integral to the operations of this plant. Instead of valuing and retaining this workforce, management has chosen to replace these qualified Nigerians with foreign workers, in clear breach of the Labour Act and the Trade Union Act,” it said.
