Written by Joyce Nzomo
Dangote Oil Refinery, Africa’s largest crude processing facility, has confirmed laying off workers, citing “acts of sabotage” within its operations.
The company said the restructuring was necessary to protect the refinery from repeated safety and operational threats. While it did not disclose the exact number of employees affected, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) condemned the move, claiming over 800 Nigerian workers were dismissed and replaced with more than 2,000 Indian staff.
“This is totally wrong and we condemn it in its entirety,” said Lumumba Okugbawa, Secretary General of PENGASSAN, alleging that the sackings targeted unionized workers.
The refinery, which has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, insisted it respects internationally recognized labor principles, including the right to unionize. It said over 3,000 Nigerian staff remain employed despite the cuts.
A termination letter seen by Reuters showed some workers were dismissed effective Sept. 25, 2025.
The move comes weeks after Dangote shut down its gasoline unit for repairs expected to last 2–3 months. In September, the plant exported higher volumes of fuel oil, a sign of the outage’s impact on operations.
Courtesy of Reuters
