In a dramatic turn of events, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has dismissed all its Nigerian workers barely 24 hours.
This is after 90 percent of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The decision was communicated through an internal memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle.
This was described as part of a “total re-organisation” of the refinery.
Also, the company cited reported cases of sabotage in different units of the refinery as justification for the mass sack.
According to the directive, all affected employees were ordered to return company property to their line managers and complete their exit clearance process.
Also, the memo also instructed the finance department to calculate benefits and entitlements due to the workers in line with the conditions of their employment.
The refinery thanked the dismissed staff for their service.
Also, the refinery’s management maintained that the restructuring was in the best interest of the plant’s operations.
This development comes amid an escalating trade dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN over the unionisation of workers.
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Also, Labour analysts suggest that the mass sack could trigger a wider industrial crisis within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector if not quickly resolved.
