(3 Minutes Read)
The Dangote Oil Refinery has announced the reinstatement of a group of employees, primarily engineers, who were laid off several months ago during a major internal reorganisation. The move follows weeks of negotiations involving the company, government officials, and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN)—the labour union representing many of the affected staff.
In September, the refinery made headlines after confirming the termination of certain staff contracts, citing “cases of sabotage” within different units of the multi-billion-dollar facility. According to the company, the decision was a necessary step to protect the refinery’s infrastructure and ensure the safety of workers following incidents that posed what it described as “serious risks to human life and operational stability.” “We remain vigilant to our internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of this strategic national asset. It is imperative to safeguard the refinery for the benefit of Nigerians, our partners across Africa, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it.”
Dangote Refinery also clarified that only a small fraction of the workforce was affected by the restructuring exercise, with over 3,000 Nigerians still actively employed at the facility. However, by early October, the company had reached an understanding with labour leaders and government mediators to reinstate the dismissed workers. Under the new arrangement, the engineers have been redeployed to various project sites across Nigeria, including in northern states such as Borno, Zamfara, and Benue.
Despite the recall, some of the returning employees have voiced strong reservations about the redeployment process. They allege that the letters of reappointment lacked clear details—such as the exact office locations or reporting addresses—in the states to which they were posted.
The employees further noted that their letters included a 14-day deadline to report to their assigned locations or risk automatic termination. “If we accept the offer and can’t report to a non-existent office, it would mean we’re effectively terminating our own employment,” one worker added.
Read Also;
https://trendsnafrica.com/strike-at-dangote-refinery-loss-estimated-at-600000-barrels/
In response, PENGASSAN has reportedly advised the affected engineers not to accept the redeployment letters pending the outcome of ongoing discussions with Dangote Refinery management. The union insists that the matter must be resolved in a way that ensures both job security and the personal safety of its members.The situation underscores continuing tensions between corporate restructuring efforts and labour welfare within Nigeria’s evolving energy sector—particularly as the Dangote Refinery prepares to ramp up operations and address the nation’s persistent fuel supply challenges.
