The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has terminated the employment of all its Nigerian workers less than 24 hours after the majority of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The decision, contained in a memo dated September 25, 2025, was signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, and described as part of a “total re-organisation” of the refinery following reports of sabotage in different units of the plant.
According to the directive, all affected employees have been instructed to hand over company property to their line managers and complete exit clearance procedures, while the finance department has been mandated to compute their benefits and entitlements in line with their employment terms.
Management acknowledged the contributions of the dismissed staff during their service but maintained that the action was necessary to reposition the refinery.
The mass dismissal comes amid an ongoing dispute between the refinery and PENGASSAN over workers’ right to unionize, raising concerns about labor relations and workers’ welfare within one of Nigeria’s most strategic industrial investments.
