The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has accused Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, of violating the country’s labour laws by dismissing workers who attempted to unionise and replacing them with foreign nationals.
In an interview with Anchor News Online, the NLC’s National Assistant Secretary, Mr. Chris Onyeka, said there was “no valid reason for breaking the law,” alleging that Dangote “believes he is above the law because he is the richest man in Nigeria.”
Onyeka explained that labour administration in Nigeria is guided by seven laws aligned with global standards, noting that multinational companies such as Shell, ExxonMobil and Total comply with these regulations.
He alleged that after unions met with Dangote’s management and submitted a list of employees who had unionised for dues remittance, the company responded by terminating their contracts. “This makes his reason for sacking them obvious,” Onyeka stated.
According to him, about 800 Nigerian workers were dismissed and subsequently replaced with 2,000 Indian nationals. He described the move as “an act of unpatriotism,” accusing Dangote of “handing Nigerian jobs to foreigners at a time of high unemployment.”
“Dangote has a history of sabotaging the Nigerian economy. Our actions come from a place of pain, especially because he was heavily subsidised as a way of supporting him,” Onyeka added.
Quoting Section 20 of the Nigerian Labour Act, the NLC demanded that the company either reinstate the dismissed workers or provide proof that the jobs are no longer available.
“All we want is for him to obey our labour laws, reinstate the workers, and treat employees with dignity, not as slaves or commodities that can be dispensed with at will,” the NLC leader emphasised.
The Congress vowed to sustain pressure until the workers are reinstated, warning that Dangote’s actions set a dangerous precedent for workers’ rights in Nigeria.
