The management of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has been alleged to have terminated the employment of several Nigerian staff shortly after many of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
In a memo, dated September 25, 2025, from the refinery’s Human Asset Management office, revealed that the decision was part of a broader “total re-organisation” initiative.
It stated that the move became necessary following “reported cases of sabotage” discovered in various units of the plant.
The affected workers were instructed to return company property, obtain clearance, and prepare for the payment of their entitlements.
Reacting to this development, PENGASSAN condemned the mass dismissal, describing it as an attack on workers’ right to unionise.
Its president, Festus Osifo, vowed that the dismissed employees would be recalled. Sister union NUPENG also denounced the move, warning that it amounted to the intimidation of organised labour.
As of press time, Dangote Refinery had not issued an official response regarding the allegations.
Labour analysts caution that, unless quickly resolved by the federal government, the dispute could escalate into a wider industrial crisis within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
