The management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has initiated a sweeping reorganisation of its workforce and operations, citing repeated cases of sabotage that threatened the safety of its 650,000-barrel-per-day facility.
In a letter dated September 24, 2025, and signed by Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, the company said it had been “constrained to carry out a total reorganisation of the plant” following “many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns.”
The letter directed affected employees to hand over company property to their line managers and await clearance before receiving their entitlements, which the Finance Department would calculate in line with their conditions of service.
A senior official, however, dismissed reports that the refinery had carried out mass layoffs, stressing that the development was a targeted restructuring to safeguard assets, according to PUNCH.
“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 told The PUNCH on Friday, confirming the authenticity of the disengagement notice but denying claims of mass dismissals.
The official explained that the reorganisation was aimed at plugging leakages and protecting company assets in the face of recurring sabotage.
“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,” he said.
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He added that the exercise was conducted suddenly to prevent those involved from concealing their actions.
“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,” he explained.
The official emphasized that refinery operations remain ongoing, with both Nigerian and expatriate staff still actively working. “As we speak, people are still working at the refinery.
The people affected know themselves, and those who did not get the letter are not affected. Anyone who doesn’t have a hand in sabotage has nothing to worry about,” he said.
Dangote spokesperson Anthony Chiejina did not respond to messages sent by PUNCH’s correspondent.
A copy of the disengagement letter, obtained by the paper, was addressed to all staff of Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE and Dangote Industries Free Zone Development Company.
It stated:“In view of the many recent cases of reported sabotage in different units of the Petroleum Refinery leading to major safety concerns, the Management is constrained to carry out a total re-organisation of the plant.
“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.” Please surrender all the Company’s properties in your possession to your line manager and obtain an exit clearance accordingly, but the date for doing so will be communicated to you later.
“The Finance Department, by a copy of this letter, is advised to compute all your benefits and entitlements in line with your terms of employment and conditions of service and pay the amount due to you (less all indebtedness), subject to the condition that you have obtained the exit clearance certificate as mentioned above.
“We seize this opportunity to thank you for your services while you were in our employment.”
The refinery, which began operations in 2024 amid high hopes of ending Nigeria’s reliance on imported petroleum products, is already grappling with operational challenges and labour disputes.
It recently clashed with the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers over safety standards and labour practices, with the union accusing the company of “high-handedness” and warning against what it described as unfair practices.
The refinery has also been at odds with the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria over pricing and distribution, with marketers alleging that Dangote imposed rigid terms that risk distorting the downstream market.
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