Dangote Refinery Redeploys Sacked Engineers Amid Labour Dispute
The management of the Dangote Refinery has redeployed several engineers who were recently dismissed during the crisis involving the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), signaling a possible resolution of the labour face-off that shook Nigeria’s energy industry last month.
Findings revealed that the affected engineers, including some graduate trainees, have now been reassigned to new work sites in Borno, Benue, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Kebbi, and other states under the Dangote Projects Limited, an umbrella subsidiary of the Dangote Group.
Copies of redeployment letters sighted by journalists indicate that the workers have been offered new positions as engineering trainees for projects in coal mining and road construction across the country.
The letters, signed by the Chief General Manager, Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, instructed the redeployed staff to report to their new duty posts within 14 days or risk forfeiting the offer.
One of the letters stated, “You will undergo classroom and hands-on training in the construction, commissioning, and operation of our Coal Project at Okpokwu, Benue State.
The engagement will last for two years and may be reviewed periodically based on performance.”
While the company insists that the move is part of a broader restructuring exercise to align manpower needs across its various business divisions, some affected workers have expressed concerns about security challenges in the regions they are being deployed to.
A few engineers told reporters that some of the project sites lacked clear reporting offices, while others feared deployment to conflict-prone zones.
“There’s no physical office in most of the listed states, and these areas are security hotbeds.
PENGASSAN has advised us to hold off until discussions with management are concluded,” one of the engineers said.
Dangote Refinery’s Labour Row and the Road to Resolution
The Dangote Refinery came under intense public scrutiny last month after reports emerged that hundreds of workers were sacked for allegedly volunteering to join PENGASSAN.
The situation escalated when the union directed its members to shut down critical oil and gas installations across the country, triggering disruptions in production and a temporary dip in national power supply.
The industrial action prompted the intervention of the Federal Government, which brokered a truce and directed the company to redeploy the affected engineers within the group rather than terminate their contracts outrightly.
Sources within the Dangote Group confirmed that the company has complied with this directive, redeploying the engineers to sugar, cement, and other industrial projects under its corporate portfolio.
However, the union maintains that the redeployment exercise must guarantee safety and fair working conditions for the affected staff.
A senior PENGASSAN official told newsmen that “redeployment cannot be used as a tool of victimisation” and urged management to ensure transparency in the process.
The controversy has reignited national discussions on workers’ rights, unionisation, and the broader implications for private sector labour relations in Nigeria’s industrial sector.
Dangote Refinery Supports PIA Amendment to Strengthen Refining Sector
In a related development, Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has expressed full support for the proposed amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), describing it as a crucial step toward promoting local refining and energy self-sufficiency.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, Dangote explained that the review would align Nigeria’s oil and gas regulatory framework with emerging realities and attract more domestic investment into refining.
“The amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act will open up a lot for the downstream sector,” he said.
“It will ensure the right provisions are captured to promote indigenous participation, market fairness, and energy security.”
Dangote lamented that some producers have been exploiting the “willing buyer, willing seller” policy to export crude oil that could otherwise be refined locally, thereby undermining Nigeria’s efforts toward refining self-reliance.
He called for strict enforcement of existing policies mandating that only crude unsuitable for domestic processing should be exported.
“The policy already provides that only crude that cannot be refined in Nigeria should be exported, but this has not been enforced aggressively.
With renewed presidential support, we will ensure that domestic refining comes first,” Dangote added.
Expansion of Dangote Refinery and Regional Market Strategy
The Dangote Refinery, which began operations in 2024, has commenced an ambitious expansion project to increase capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day, making it the largest single-train refinery in the world upon completion.
President Bola Tinubu, speaking through the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri, at the OTL Africa Downstream Week, praised the development, describing it as a milestone for Nigeria and Africa’s energy independence.
“This expansion will not only serve Nigeria but the entire continent,” Tinubu said.
“The Federal Government will fully support this transformative project.”
Dangote further disclosed plans to establish a large-scale tank farm in Namibia to export refined products like petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel to neighbouring countries including Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
The move aligns with the group’s strategy to bridge Africa’s fuel supply deficit and position Nigeria as a continental refining hub.
As the Dangote Refinery continues its expansion and redeployment efforts, the combination of policy reforms, labour realignments, and private sector confidence appears poised to reshape Nigeria’s downstream oil sector.
The refinery’s support for the PIA amendment, alongside government backing, underscores a shared vision for an industrially resilient and energy-secure Nigeria.
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