Dangote Refutes Claim Refinery Employs 11,000 Workers From India as Group Alleges Nigerians Lack Skills
- A group has defended the Dangote Refinery over the employment of 11, 000 Indian workers
- The Sub-Saharan Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASANET) said the reason due to lack of skills among Nigerian youths
- But Dangote has debunked the claim the refinery employs more Indians than Nigerians
Dangote Group has debunked claims that it employed about 11,000 Indian workers to detriment of Nigerian youths.
A group, the Sub-Saharan African Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASANET) revealed said the Dangote Refinery employed 11,000 skilled Indian workers and neglected youths from Nigeria and other African countries.
Source: UGC
According to the network, workers from Nigeria need more skills for employment at the refinery.
group to partner with African countries for skills development
The group noted in a Communique issued at the end of its two-day meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, that it had resolved that each African country develop a national skills framework to enable ease of labour migration.
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The Punch reported that the Secretary-General of the network, Ousman Sillah signed the communique.
The group said it is raising the awareness to avoid a replication of the problem on the proposed $25 billion Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline across the Gulf of Guinea to Europe.
The network said:
The Dangote Refinery in Nigeria under construction has engaged over 11,000 workforce from India, while our youths lack the required skills to be engaged; Africa should avoid a repeat of the same in the upcoming $25 billion Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline traversing the Gulf of Guinea to Europe; the absence of National Occupational Standards in many countries."
According to the SASANET, the absence of means to skills obtained in the informal sector in most African countries is the reason for the lack of opportunities for skilled labour migration across African regions.
The network blamed the problem on the negative social perception of skilled workers and the weak interface between trade unions and associations, skills, and apprenticeship development for the problem.
African countries urged to develop national skills framework
SASANET recommended that each member country in Africa develop its national skills qualification framework with enough provisions for the informal sector, stating that it would collaborate with World Skills to promote competition and talent hunt among African youths.
"Integrate NEET (Not in Education, Employment and Training) into the apprenticeship training programme to promote inclusivity," SASANET said.
The Spokesman for Dangote, Anthony Chiejine, told Legit.ng that the claim is outright falsehood and that the 650,000 capacity refinery is set up for the employment of Nigerian youths more than other countries in Africa and the world.
Chiejine said the project is ongoing and would employ more Nigerians as the need arises.
“This is an ongoing project and there will be more vacancies for Nigerians as time goes on. Please, disregard the false report,” Chiejine told Legit.ng.
In an interview with Arise Television, Executive Secretary at Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, (NCDMB) Simbi Wabote said the facility will employ 95% of Nigerians when completed.
Dangote says refinery currently employs 33,000 Nigerians, has vacancy for 100,000 Jobs
Legit.ng reported that Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has disclosed that the newly commissioned Dangote Refinery will make 100,000 jobs available when it becomes fully operational.
The billionaire businessman said the refinery currently employs 33,000 Nigerians.
He revealed that the 650,000bpd capacity refinery targets the youth population in its employment drive.
Source: Legit.ng
