Dangote Oil Refinery Rehires Dismissed Engineers After Labour Talks with PENGASSAN
The Dangote Oil Refinery has reinstated several engineers who were laid off earlier this year, following negotiations with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and government officials.
The affected employees were initially caught in a dispute between the refinery and the labour union, which arose after the company announced a reorganisation in September that led to staff terminations linked to alleged cases of sabotage in some operational units.
Background: Layoffs Tied to Security Concerns
At the time of the dismissals, the refinery stated that the move was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the multi-billion-dollar facility and ensure the safety of its workforce.
“We remain vigilant to our internal systems and vulnerabilities to ensure the long-term stability of this strategic national asset,” the company said in its earlier statement. “It is imperative to protect the refinery for the benefit of Nigerians, our partners across Africa, and the thousands of people whose livelihoods depend on it.”
Dangote Refinery also clarified that the restructuring affected only a small fraction of its workforce, noting that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain actively employed.
Reinstatement and Redeployment
Following further discussions with labour representatives and federal authorities, the refinery agreed to reinstate and redeploy the dismissed engineers under its Dangote Projects division.
According to a report by The Punch, the reinstated workers have been reassigned to various parts of Nigeria, including Borno, Zamfara, Benue, and other northern states.
“They basically re-employed all of us to these places under Dangote Projects,” one of the affected engineers told The Punch.
Concerns Over Redeployment Conditions
However, some of the redeployed staff have raised concerns about the unclear posting details and safety risks associated with their new assignments.
“The re-employment letter gives us 14 days to report, but no specific office address was provided for the states we were posted to,” one engineer explained. “When we checked online, no such offices existed. Many of these locations are also known for insecurity.”
According to the workers, PENGASSAN has advised them not to accept the redeployment letters until further dialogue with the company concludes.
The reinstatement marks a significant development in the ongoing standoff between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN, reflecting both sides’ willingness to continue engagement toward an amicable resolution while ensuring the protection of workers’ rights and the refinery’s operational integrity.
