By New Telegraph,Olaoluwa Ogunleye
Copyright newtelegraphng
In the global corporate landscape, responsible employers understand that people are the backbone of productivity. They invest in their workforce not just with salaries, but with dignity. Life insurance, annual health screenings, family health coverage, and safe working conditions are not luxuries; they are the minimum standard of care in any ethical enterprise.
Yet in Nigeria, the Dangote Group, a company hailed as a symbol of indigenous industrial success, has come under fire for treating its workers with alarming disregard. Employees at the Dangote Refinery and Cement operations are not demanding the moon.
They are asking for basic human rights, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) coverage, fair allowances, and the same respect afforded to foreign expatriates working under the same roof.
The oil and gas sector is inherently hazardous. Even with protective gear, workers face long-term exposure to toxic chemicals. Without it, they are condemned to chronic illnesses, respiratory damage, and a retirement filled with hospital visits instead of rest. The situation at Dangote’s facilities, where PPEs are reportedly absent, health insurance is nonexistent, and wages fall below industry standards, is not just unethical. It is unconscionable.
This is not an investment. It is exploitation. Nigeria has long suffered under the weight of foreign companies that operate with impunity and treat Nigerian labour as expendable. But when an indigenous company mirrors these practices, the betrayal cuts deeper. Dangote Cement has allegedly operated for years without adequate oversight, leaving workers to retire with lung disease and other debilitating conditions. Where is the Ministry of Labour? Where is the accountability?
The recent mass dismissal of 800 workers for unionising is a chilling reminder of how far corporate impunity has gone. In what democratic society is union membership grounds for termination? This is not just a labour issue; it is a human rights crisis.
Let us be clear, this is not about ethnicity. It is about ethics.
No Nigerian, regardless of tribe or background, should be subjected to unsafe, unsustainable, and inhumane working conditions. The Dangote Group must operate within the ambit of Nigerian labour law.
It must put people before profits. It must recognise that the true strength of any company lies not in its machinery but in the hands that operate it.
The path forward is not confrontation, but dialogue. PENGASSAN must stand firm in its advocacy, and Dangote must listen not with arrogance, but with humility. Corporate rascality and industrial terrorism have no place in the modern workplace. The solution lies in mutual respect, negotiation, and a shared commitment to worker welfare.
Let us not be blinded by the pride we feel for indigenous organisations. That pride must be matched by responsibility. Dangote must rise to the occasion not just as a business leader but as a steward of Nigerian lives.
The workers deserve better. And Nigeria deserves better.
