Dangote Refinery Accused of Replacing Sacked Nigerians with 2,000 Expatriates, Union Threatens Picket

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has threatened to picket the Dangote Petroleum Refinery following the alleged dismissal of 800 Nigerian workers who joined the union.

PENGASSAN accused the refinery of replacing the sacked workers with more than 2,000 expatriates, mainly from India, claiming many of them lacked proper immigration documentation. The association’s General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, said the sackings came just a day after the workers had completed their unionisation process in line with directives from the Federal Government.

“When the witch cries in the night and the baby dies in the morning, what do you expect?” Okugbawa asked, alleging that the management carried out a headcount to identify workers who had joined the union before issuing termination letters. He added that all Nigerian staff were affected, while expatriates were retained.

In a letter titled *Reorganisation*, which surfaced on social media on Friday, the refinery’s management cited “repeated acts of sabotage” that posed safety risks as the reason for the mass dismissal. The letter ordered staff to surrender company property and await further clearance instructions.

Okugbawa dismissed the sabotage claim, insisting the dismissals were tied to union activity. He said PENGASSAN had told the affected workers to remain calm while the association engages stakeholders. He warned that if the refinery failed to reinstate the workers, the union would “use all constitutionally given powers” to act, including picketing and protests.

The association argued that the refinery’s actions violated Section 7 of the Labour Act, which prohibits discrimination and guarantees fair treatment, as well as the Trade Union Act, which upholds workers’ rights to organise. PENGASSAN has called for the immediate recall of all sacked Nigerian staff, warning that failure to comply could trigger legal and industrial actions.

Responding to the allegations, the Dangote refinery denied carrying out mass sackings, insisting that only a “very small number” of staff were affected. It said the reorganisation was necessary to protect the refinery from sabotage and ensure operational safety.

“The decision was taken in the best interest of the refinery as a result of intermittent cases of sabotage in various units of the plant with dire consequences on human life and safety,” the management said.

The refinery maintained that more than 3,000 Nigerians remain employed and that it continues to recruit local talent through graduate and experienced hire programmes. It stressed that it recognised the right of workers to join unions and was committed to upholding international labour standards.

The refinery has faced recent disputes with organised labour. Earlier this year, the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) shut down operations, accusing the company of preventing its tanker drivers from unionising. The refinery later obtained a court order restraining unions from blocking its facilities.