Dangote rehires sacked engineers, redeploys them to remote project sites

Dangote rehires sacked engineers, redeploys them to remote project sites

The Dangote Group has re-engaged engineers previously dismissed from its refinery operations following a labour dispute with the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), assigning them to various project sites across the country.

According to reports, the affected engineers—some of whom were still graduate trainees at the time of their dismissal—have been redeployed to Dangote Projects in states such as Benue, Borno, Zamfara, and Kebbi. The re-engagement letters, titled “Offer of Trainee Engagement”, were issued under Dangote Projects Limited and signed by the company’s Chief General Manager for Human Asset Management, Femi Adekunle.

One of the letters seen by our correspondent indicated that the engineers would undergo a two-year training programme involving classroom and hands-on experience at project sites, including a coal project in Okpokwu, Benue State.

“You will report to your work location within 14 days upon receipt of this letter,” the letter stated, warning that failure to comply could lead to termination of the engagement.

However, some of the engineers have raised concerns over the redeployment, citing lack of clarity on reporting locations and security risks in the assigned states. “There’s no address to report to on the letter, and some of the locations are known for insecurity,” one of the affected workers said.

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PENGASSAN has reportedly advised the workers not to accept the redeployment letters pending the outcome of ongoing discussions with the Dangote Group.

The development follows last month’s industrial action by oil and gas workers, who shut down facilities nationwide in protest against the dismissal of over 800 refinery staff allegedly for attempting to unionize. The Dangote refinery, however, maintained that only a few workers were let go for acts of sabotage, describing the move as part of a broader reorganization.

The Federal Government later intervened, urging the company to reinstate the affected workers. Sources within the Dangote Group confirmed that the redeployment was part of efforts to comply with the government’s directive, with plans to relocate the engineers to other business units, including sugar and cement operations.

Despite the redeployment, some of the engineers have expressed dissatisfaction, alleging that the company is punishing them for their union activities. “This is not a genuine reinstatement. It feels more like a strategy to frustrate us out of the system,” one of them said.

Meanwhile, the Dangote Group has announced plans to employ 65,000 workers as it begins expansion of its refinery capacity from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day. It remains unclear whether any of the affected engineers will be considered for roles in the expansion project, especially amid lingering allegations of sabotage—claims the workers have strongly denied.

Dangote rehires sacked engineers, redeploys them to remote project sites