The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reportedly terminated the employment of all its Nigerian staff, barely 24 hours after the majority of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
In an internal memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, the refinery announced that the decision formed part of a “total re-organisation” exercise within the company.
The notice alleged that the drastic measure followed “reported cases of sabotage” discovered in various units of the plant.
“All affected employees are hereby instructed to surrender all company property in their possession to their respective line managers and obtain exit clearance,” the memo read in part.
The document further directed the finance department to compute outstanding benefits and entitlements for immediate payment in line with the terms of employment.
“Management appreciates your services while in our employment and wishes you success in your future endeavours,” the refinery stated.
The development comes amid a tense trade dispute between the refinery and PENGASSAN, which escalated after 90 per cent of Dangote’s Nigerian workforce reportedly joined the union.
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The mass sack is widely seen as a fallout of the protracted standoff over unionisation rights at the facility.
As of the time of filing this report, labour leaders under PENGASSAN had yet to release an official response to the management’s action.
