Dangote Refinery has dismissed all its Nigerian employees, less than 24 hours after 90% of them joined the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
In an internal memo dated September 25, 2025, and signed by the Chief General Manager of Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle, the company said the mass sack was part of a “total re-organisation” following alleged cases of sabotage in different units.
The memo instructed affected workers to return all company property and obtain exit clearance. The finance department was also told to calculate their benefits and entitlements for payment in line with their contracts.
Although the refinery’s management thanked the staff for their service, the mass sack has deepened tensions in the long-running dispute between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN over unionization.
The next steps from both sides will determine how the crisis plays out and what it means for labor relations in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The industrial dispute between the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Dangote Refinery took a new turn earlier this month when the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) declared full solidarity with NUPENG and threatened to join in shutting down refinery operations if the company continues to resist unionization.
In a strongly worded statement by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, earlier in September, PENGASSAN expressed “unwavering solidarity” with NUPENG, describing the denial of workers’ right to unionise at Dangote Refinery as unacceptable and a direct violation of Nigerian labour laws and international conventions.
The statement read: “On behalf of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), we are writing to express our unwavering solidarity with our ally and sister union, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in their ongoing efforts to secure the rights of tanker drivers who are currently being hired at the Dangote Refinery.
“We wish to put on record that Dangote Refinery management has been resisting potential members of both PENGASSAN and NUPENG from joining the Association since its inception. All diplomatic efforts to persuade the company’s management have so far not yielded the desired result.
“It is with deep concern that PENGASSAN observes the increasing resistance to unionisation at the Dangote Refinery, as the continued denial of workers’ rights will no longer be tolerated going forward.”
PENGASSAN warned that unless the refinery’s management changes its stance, the association will be left with no option but to join NUPENG in a showdown that could cripple refinery operations.
“We stand firmly in support of NUPENG’s call for the full unionisation of not just petroleum tanker drivers but all employees of the refinery and its allied companies. This is in accordance with the principles set forth by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and in line with Nigerian labour laws.
“The right of workers to organise and collectively bargain is not only a fundamental human right but also essential for promoting fair labour practices, ensuring safety, and upholding dignity in the workplace.
“Should the ongoing situation persist without a resolution, PENGASSAN will be left with no option but to join in shutting down the refinery operations as a last resort to protect our members’ rights and interests.”