Dangote refinery says reports of exclusion of Nigerian locals are 'malicious'

A post shared on Facebook claims that Dangote refinery has employed thousands of Indians due to a shortage of skilled labour in Nigeria.

It reads: “Dangote Refinery has employed 11,000 workers from India.  According to them, this was due to inadequate skilled workers in Nigeria.”

Dangote refinery is privately owned by billionaire Aliko Dangote. It has the capacity to refine 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It is located in Lagos state, the economic capital of Nigeria

The refinery was commissioned on 23 May 2023, and in local media reports, Dangote said the refinery's first products would be on the market by the end of July or early August.

We found the same claim on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here and here. 

But did Dangote refinery employ 11,000 Indians because of a shortage of skilled labour in Nigeria? We checked.

Dangote spokesperson clarifies figures

Anthony Chiejina, the group’s chief branding and communications officer, told local media that the project required specialised workers from around the world, but that the figure in some online reports did not reflect the number of Nigerian skilled workers on site.

According to the reports, Chiejina said “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 said the claim was made with malicious intent and advised the public to ignore it.