Dangote reveals number of Indians, Chinese working at refinery complex

The Dangote Refinery has debunked the claim that the company employs more foreigners than Nigerians and that 11,000 Indian workers are currently engaged at the site to the detriment of Nigerians.

The refinery management said the report was intended to cause malice and not a true reflection of things at the refinery.

Report alleges that Dangote Refinery ignored Nigerians and employed 11,000 Indian workers.

Anthony Chiejine, spokesman for the Dangote, said that the refinery employs more Nigerians than citizens of other countries.

According to Chiejine, the report by the group the Sub-Saharan African Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASANET) that the refinery management ignored Nigerians and people from other African countries because of a lack of skill capacity was untrue and prepared with malice because it underreported the number of competent Nigerians working at the facility.

BusinessDay reports that he said the project's size necessitates using a specialized skilled labour force worldwide.

While the refinery employs over 30,000 Nigerians, he said 6,400 Indians and 3,250 Chinese also work there.

Chiejine also added that Nigerians working on the project displayed a high degree of technical competence and that their talents became visible as they worked.

Since Dangote is the industry leader in job creation, the spokesman asked Nigerians to disregard the misleading allegations and pay attention to the project's effect on the general economy and the welfare of Nigerians.

Dangote says refinery currently employs 33,000 Nigerians, has vacancy for 100,000 jobs.

Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, has disclosed that the newly commissioned Dangote Refinery will make 100,000 jobs available when it becomes fully operational.

The billionaire businessman said the refinery currently employs 33,000 Nigerians. He revealed that the 650,000bpd capacity refinery targets the youth population in its employment drive.