Nigerians have been in shock as it has been revealed that Dangote Refinery has hired 11,000 trained workers from India while ignoring young people from Nigeria and other African countries.

BRANDPOWER has however learnt that Dangote resorted to this unpopular decision because young people from Nigeria allegedly lacked the requisite skills and abilities to perform the tasks. This is according to the Sub-Saharan African Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASANET).

SASANET said in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Ousman Sillah, following its two-day conference in Abuja that it had decided that each African nation should create a national framework for skill certification that would facilitate labour migration across the continent.

“The need for SASASNET to engage in vigorous public awareness and engagement to change the negative perception of the public on the value of skills and apprenticeship; the Dangote Refinery in Nigeria under construction has engaged over 11,000 workforce from India, while our youths lack the required skills to be engaged; Africa should avoid a repeat of the same in the upcoming $25 billion Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline traversing the Gulf of Guinea to Europe; the absence of National Occupational Standards in many countries.” the statement read.

The network pointed out that there are few chances for skilled labourers to migrate across African regions as a result of the lack of channels to recognise skills acquired in the informal sector in the majority of sub-Saharan African nations, including Nigeria.

Sillah also pointed out the poor connection between trade unions/associations and the development of skills and apprenticeships, as well as the bad social perception of skilled workers.

The Network made several recommendations for the future, including that each member country shall create its National Skills Qualifications Framework with suitable provisions for the informal sector; SSANET shall partner with World Skills to promote competitiveness and talent hunting among African youngsters.

It was also mentioned that Kenya will host the following General Assembly in 2024, while Nigeria would house the Network’s Secretariat.

Aliko Dangote’s $20.5 billion oil refinery in Nigeria promises to reduce petroleum prices, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s energy industry.

In May 2023, Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Group hosted President Buharu as he triumphantly unveiled the Dangote Refinery, promising that petroleum products will be readily available and prices will be reduced to a certain degree, as a result.

The long-awaited project is meant to be a turning point in Nigeria’s energy security drive. It was also meant to be a major source of employment for various categories of Nigerians.

The latest report making the rounds has however brought in an unexpected dynamic that has cast a shadow on the dizzying hopes of economic upliftment. This is especially so considering the rate of unemployment in Nigeria