The Dangote Group will redeploy refinery engineers dismissed from its Lagos facility to the company’s sugar and cement plants, following government intervention in its dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
The company also plans to recruit new engineers to fill the positions left vacant. Internal sources described the redeployment as a major loss, noting that several affected engineers had received advanced training abroad. Some of them may also be reassigned to Dangote operations outside Nigeria.
PENGASSAN had shut down oil and gas facilities between Sunday and Tuesday, claiming that 800 refinery employees were dismissed for joining the union. Dangote Refinery denied this, saying it removed only a few workers involved in what it called acts of sabotage.
The strike disrupted oil and gas production and caused a temporary dip in power generation. The Federal Government intervened and reached an agreement with both sides, leading to the redeployment decision and the restoration of normal operations.
Officials involved in the talks said Dangote did not object to union membership but insisted it could not overlook internal sabotage. The company accused some workers of leaking sensitive operational information to external parties.
Many of the affected engineers helped build and commission the 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery located in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos.
“The workers will move to sugar, cement, and other business units,” one official said. “The company invested heavily in their training, and many of them were part of the commissioning phase. Losing that experience hurts, but protecting the refinery comes first.”
Redeployment Progress and Labour Tensions
Some affected engineers have already received job offers from foreign companies impressed by their expertise. Addressing concerns over pay disparities, a consultant explained that salary differences between expatriate and Nigerian engineers are normal during the early stages of large projects.
“Every new industrial operation brings in global experts before fully transitioning to local staff,” the consultant said. “Refinery operations differ from upstream oil exploration, so salary structures cannot be compared.”
Insiders said the redeployment process is ongoing and handled individually. Some engineers will take up new roles at Dangote’s facilities across Nigeria and abroad once the process concludes.
“Once everything is finalized, the redeployed workers will resume their new assignments,” another official confirmed.
The Dangote Group reaffirmed its commitment to the agreements reached with union leaders during government mediation.
In recent weeks, the refinery has faced growing criticism from major industry unions. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) accused the refinery of unfair pricing practices that hurt independent marketers.
NUPENG also alleged that Dangote blocked tanker drivers from joining unions, prompting a temporary shutdown of refinery and depot operations. The conflict deepened when PENGASSAN condemned the dismissal of refinery workers and ordered a halt to crude and gas supply, triggering nationwide fuel shortages.
Federal intervention calmed the situation, but industry observers continue to watch for full implementation of the agreements reached during the conciliation meetings.