Dangote Refinery has dismissed many Nigerian workers shortly after they reportedly joined PENGASSAN.
Management links the move to sabotage concerns and announces a sweeping company reorganization amid growing union tensions.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reportedly dismissed all of its Nigerian employees just a day after most of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). This development was revealed on Wednesday by political commentator Imran Wakili in a post on X, where he claimed the action came “less than 24 hours after 90 percent of them joined PENGASSAN.”
According to Wakili, the move followed an internal memo dated September 25, 2025 and signed by the refinery’s Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle. In the memo, the management described the decision as part of a “total reorganisation” of the plant. It linked the restructuring to reported cases of sabotage in several units of the refinery.
The notice instructed the affected workers to return all company property to their supervisors and complete exit clearance procedures. It also directed the finance department to calculate and pay benefits and entitlements in line with the workers’ contracts.
While thanking the dismissed staff for their services, the refinery’s management maintained that the changes were necessary for the company’s operations. The incident comes amid ongoing tensions between the refinery and PENGASSAN over unionization, which has recently escalated into a trade dispute.
