The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has embarked on a “sweeping reorganisation of its operations and workforce.”
The refinery said it took the decision in response to “repeated sabotage by staff members” that threatened the operational safety of the 650,000 barrels per day facility.
In a letter dated September 24, 2025, and signed by Femi Adekunle, the Chief General Manager, Human Asset Management, the refinery informed staff of the move.
The letter stated that management was “constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant” following “many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns.”
The letter was addressed to all staff and read in part: “As a consequence of this development, we wish to inform you that your services are no longer required, with effect from the eve of Thursday, the 25th September, 2025.”
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Affected staff were directed to surrender company property and obtain an exit clearance, with the Finance Department “advised to compute all your benefits and entitlements in line with your terms of employment and conditions of service.”
A senior official of the company dismissed reports that the company sacked workers en masse, insisting that the development was a “reorganisation exercise aimed at curbing sabotage.”
Speaking to The PUNCH on Friday, the official confirmed the letter’s authenticity but stressed that its interpretation was misrepresented.
The official said, “Yes, the letter is correct. But the interpretation is wrong. The interpretation is that it affects some people because of certain things discovered in the refinery. It has nothing to do with unionism or anything like that.”
The official further clarified the move was designed to “plug leakages” and protect assets, explaining, “It doesn’t mean they have been sacked. That is incorrect. What was done was to put a check in place. It is more like a clean-up in the system to check where those sabotage and leakages are coming from and then address them. As soon as the issues are addressed, they will be reabsorbed. That is why it is not a sack and that word wasn’t used.”
The official added that the exercise was carried out suddenly to prevent those involved from covering up, stating, “Some acts of sabotage have been noticed repeatedly and the company is only trying to safeguard its assets. Also, you cannot do things like this and give two weeks’ notice; otherwise, those in the act would cover up and complicate issues.”
The refinery, which commenced production in 2024, is already battling “operational turbulence and industrial disputes,” including a row with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers over “high-handedness” and a dispute with marketers over pricing and distribution arrangements.
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