The $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals, the world’s largest single-train refinery, has dismissed an undisclosed number of employees as part of what it described as a “total reorganization” following reported cases of sabotage.
In a document seen on Friday, Femi Adekunle, Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management at Dangote Group, confirmed that the restructuring took effect on Thursday, September 25, 2025. He said multiple incidents of sabotage were recorded across different refinery units, creating serious safety risks and forcing management to act.
Affected workers were instructed to hand over company property and obtain exit clearance before receiving computed benefits and entitlements.
The shake-up comes amid ongoing tensions between refinery management and labour unions. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) had earlier threatened to shut down operations over what they described as the company’s refusal to allow unionization of tanker drivers and other employees.
Inaugurated in May 2023 and located in Lekki, Lagos, the Dangote Refinery is designed to process up to 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day when fully operational.
