The Management of Dangote Refinery has firmly denied a report circulated on several online media platforms alleging that the company employed 11,000 skilled workers from India, while neglecting young individuals from Nigeria and other African nations.
In response to the report, Anthony Chiejina, the Group’s Chief Branding & Communications Officer, expressed strong disapproval of the report, stating that it was crafted with malicious intent.
He emphasised that the report’s claims did not accurately represent the actual number of skilled Nigerian workers present at the site. Chiejina reaffirmed Dangote Refinery’s commitment to employing a substantial number of skilled Nigerians and highlighted that the company remains dedicated to empowering local talents and contributing to the socio-economic development of the nation.
He said, the magnitude of the project required a specialised skilled workforce from all over the world, and that while over 30,000 Nigerians were engaged among the skilled workforce, at the peak of construction in the Refinery complex, 6,400 Indians and 3,250 Chinese workers were among the skilled workforces.
He also said Nigerians on the project demonstrated a high level of technical competence as many hidden skills were discovered among them.
Chiejina advised the public to discountenance such malicious and twisted reports, and instead, focus on the potential impact of the project on the overall economy, and well-being of Nigerians.
He said Dangote Group continued to be the leading light in employment generation.