The Dangote Group has redeployed several engineers previously dismissed from its petroleum refinery to other arms of the conglomerate, including its sugar and cement operations. The move comes as the company prepares to hire new engineers to fill vacancies at the multi-billion-dollar refinery.
According to company insiders, the reassignment is part of an internal restructuring process aimed at safeguarding refinery operations and maintaining stability following recent staff changes.
Many of the affected engineers had received extensive training abroad and were directly involved in the refinery’s commissioning phase.
“The workers will move to sugar, cement, and other business units. 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,” an official disclosed.
Sources also revealed that several engineers affected by the reshuffle have already attracted offers from international companies seeking their expertise.
Responding to public concerns about alleged pay disparities between local and expatriate engineers, a project consultant clarified that such differences are standard in large-scale industrial operations.
“Every new industrial operation brings in global experts before fully transitioning to local staff. Refinery operations differ from upstream oil exploration, so salary structures cannot be compared,” the consultant explained.
Insiders confirmed that the redeployment process is ongoing and being managed on a case-by-case basis. Once finalized, some engineers are expected to take up new roles across Dangote’s business units both within Nigeria and at the company’s international branches.
The development underscores the refinery’s growing emphasis on operational security and organizational efficiency as it continues its phased production ramp-up.
