The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has denied reports of mass sackings, clarifying that its recent workforce restructuring was part of a system-wide clean-up aimed at addressing sabotage and safeguarding assets.
In a letter dated 24 September 2025, signed by Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager, Human Asset Management, the refinery said it was compelled to embark on a comprehensive reorganisation following “numerous recent cases of sabotage across different units of the refinery, leading to significant safety concerns.”
The 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery explained that affected workers were instructed to return all company property and undergo clearance processes before receiving their benefits, which the Finance Department was directed to compute in line with existing employment terms.
A senior company official confirmed the authenticity of the letter but stressed that the move should not be misinterpreted as a mass retrenchment.
“Yes, the letter is genuine, but the wrong interpretation is that people were sacked. This is not a sack; it is a clean-up process designed to identify sources of sabotage and plug leakages. Those cleared of wrongdoing will be reabsorbed. The word ‘sack’ was never used,” the official explained.
He added that the action was deliberately sudden to prevent individuals involved in sabotage from covering up their tracks.
“You can’t give advance notice in a case like this. Some workers were engaged in acts that threatened the refinery’s operations, and urgent measures were necessary to protect the plant,” he said, noting that normal refinery operations were still ongoing with both Nigerian and expatriate staff.
According to the official, employees not implicated in sabotage have no reason to worry. “People are still working at the refinery right now. Those not affected by the letter remain in service. The exercise targets only those linked to acts of sabotage,” he clarified.
The disengagement notice sent to staff read in part:
“In view of the many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns, the Management is constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant… Your services are no longer required, effective Thursday, 25 September 2025… Please surrender all Company property to your line manager and obtain exit clearance. The Finance Department is advised to compute your entitlements in line with your terms of employment.”
The refinery, which began operations in 2024 with high hopes of ending Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products, has recently faced turbulence, including disputes with labour unions and marketers.
Earlier, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) accused the refinery of unfair labour practices, while marketers under DAPPMAN alleged restrictive distribution policies that could distort the downstream sector.
Despite these challenges, management insists that the latest exercise is strictly a safeguard measure against sabotage and not a mass dismissal.
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