Dangote Refinery debunks mass sack allegation, insists over 3,000 Nigerians on pay roll

By Moses Akaigwe

Contrary to some media reports, the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said that only a small fraction of its workforce was affected by the ongoing restructuring.

According to the mega company, more than 3,000 Nigerians remain in active employment, despite an ongoing reorganisation of its workforce.

In an official statement issued Friday, the management refuted reports of mass sackings, clarifying that only a “very small number” of staff were affected by the exercise, which it said was necessary to protect the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage.

The refinery, with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, said it had uncovered intermittent cases of sabotage across different units of the complex, which posed serious risks to human safety and threatened the long-term stability of what it described as a “strategic national asset.”

“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 foregoing decision was taken in the best interest of the Refinery as a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the Refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns.

“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 statement signed by management read.

“We remain vigilant to our internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of this strategic national asset. It is imperative to protect the refinery for the benefit of Nigerians, our partners across Africa, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it.

“The Dangote Petroleum Refinery exist to serve Nigerians, strengthen Africa’s energy independence, and create decent, sustainable jobs,” it added, noting that workers’ rights under international labour principles, including the freedom to join a union, remain protected.