The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain in active employment at its $20 billion facility, despite an ongoing reorganisation of its workforce.
In a statement on Friday, the management dismissed reports of mass sackings, clarifying that only a “very small number” of staff were affected by the exercise, which it said was necessary to protect the refinery from repeated acts of sabotage.
“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 statement signed by management read.
The refinery, with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, said it had uncovered intermittent cases of sabotage across different units of the complex, which posed serious risks to human safety and threatened the long-term stability of what it described as a “strategic national asset.”
Management also stressed its commitment to creating sustainable jobs for Nigerians through graduate trainee programmes and experienced hire recruitments, even as the reorganisation continues.
“We exist to serve Nigerians, strengthen Africa’s energy independence, and create decent, sustainable jobs,” it added, noting that workers’ rights under international labour principles, including the freedom to join a union, remain protected.
The PUNCH
