BREAKING: Dangote Refinery Fires All Nigerian Staff Just 24 Hours After Joining PENGASSAN

In a move that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has sacked all its Nigerian workers barely 24 hours after 90 percent of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).

The drastic decision was conveyed in an internal memo dated September 25, 2025, signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle. The memo cited “a total re-organisation of the refinery” and alleged incidents of sabotage in certain units of the multi-billion-dollar plant as justification for the mass termination.

According to the notice, all affected employees have been ordered to immediately surrender company property in their possession to their line managers and obtain official exit clearance. The Finance Department has been directed to compute their benefits and entitlements for prompt settlement in line with contractual terms.

While thanking the dismissed staff for their services, the company’s management insisted that the move was necessary to “protect the integrity and smooth operations of the refinery.”

However, industry watchers believe the timing of the decision raises serious questions. The refinery has been locked in a long-running dispute with PENGASSAN over workers’ rights to unionise—a battle that has now reached a boiling point with this unprecedented mass sack.

Labour analysts warn that the action could spark nationwide protests in the oil and gas sector, with ripple effects on fuel supply, pricing, and industrial peace.

The Dangote Refinery, hailed as Africa’s largest single-train refinery, was expected to be a game-changer for Nigeria’s economy. Now, its reputation faces a new test as labour unrest threatens to overshadow its operations.