Aliko Dangote Sacked 36 Expatriate n 12 Nigerian Workers

A group which is owned by Africa and Nigeria’s richest man, Aliko Dangote sacked 36 expatriate and 12 Nigerian workers from the group’s headquarters and one of the subsidiaries, Dangote Cement Plc.

Recession is biting hard as Nigeria’s biggest employers of labour aside the government, Dangote Group has fired 48 members of staff.

According to a report by Punch newspaper, the sack of the workers was not unconnected with the current high cost of running business in the country occasioned by the unavailability of foreign exchange and the unprecedented hike in the naira to dollar exchange rate. 

It was reported that the huge amounts in foreign currencies being paid to the expatriate workers had become a burden on Dangote due to the steady depreciation in the value of the naira and the difficulties of raising enough dollars.

Consequently, the firm decided to replace the expatriates with Nigerians who have acquired the requisite experience on the job, as paying them in naira will be less problematic. The sacked Nigerian workers were however fired for disciplinary issues. In a letter signed by the President/Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, dated Thursday, October 20, 2016, and seen by Punch, Dangote said it was constrained to take the “tough” decision as economic factors had affected the cost of production.