Updated: Dangote Reacts to Report of 'Mass Sack' at Refinery
- Dangote Refinery dismissed reports of mass sack, saying its workforce reshuffle only targeted staff linked to sabotage
- Management said the move was necessary to protect assets and ensure safety and ensure operations remain intact
- Dangote refinery told Legit.ng in a statement shared confirmed the sack but explained that it is reorganisation within the facility
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Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has dismissed reports of a 'mass' layoff at its multi-billion-dollar plant.
The refinery management stated that it only conducted a reshuffle of its workforce to tackle sabotage incidents that raised safety concerns.
Source: Getty Images
In a letter made public and seen by Legit.ng dated September 25 and signed by Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management.
The sack letter reads:
"In view of the many reported cases of sabotage in different sections of the Refinery, which have led to major safety concerns, Management is constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant.
As a consequence of this development, we regret to inform you that your services are no longer required, with effect from Thursday, 25th September 2025.
Please surrender all Company property in your possession to your line manager and obtain a clearance certificate accordingly. The specific date for this process will be communicated to you.
The Finance Department, by a copy of this letter, has been directed to compute all your benefits and entitlements in line with your terms of employment and conditions of service. Payment will be made once you have obtained the clearance certificate as mentioned above.
We take this opportunity to thank you for your services during your period of employment with us."
Workers sack at refinery confirmed
A senior refinery official, who confirmed the authenticity of the letter, rejected claims of a blanket dismissal.
The official told Reuters:
“Yes, the letter is genuine, but the interpretation is wrong. '
"This action concerns specific individuals linked to sabotage, not everyone. Staff not affected remain at their duty posts."
Source: UGC
He added that the sudden move was necessary to prevent workers under investigation from concealing evidence, stressing that operations at the 650,000 barrels-per-day facility remain uninterrupted.
He said:
“It is more of a clean-up process to protect the company’s assets. Once the issues are resolved, some workers could return.
"This is not a mass sack."
Dangote refinery react
Legit.ng reached out to Dangote spokesperson Anthony Chiejina and in a statement shared confirmed the lay off but stressed that there are still about 3,000 workers still employed.
He clarified that the sack reported is an ongoing reorganisation within its facility
The statement reads:
"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 result of intermittent cases of sabotage in the various units of the Refinery with dire consequences on human life and related safety concerns.
"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.
"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.
"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."
Dangote announces graduate training programme
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Dangote Cement Plc has announced the launch of its 2025 Graduate Trainee Knowledge Transfer Programmes, offering young Nigerian graduates opportunities to build careers in both technical and support service roles.
The initiative is designed to develop a pipeline of skilled professionals by exposing participants to hands-on training, cross-functional projects, and mentorship from experienced experts across the company.
In a statement released on X, Dangote Group said there are two opportunities: the Support Services Graduate Trainee Programme and the Technical and Technical Support Graduate Trainee Programme.
Source: Legit.ng
