52 engineers complete Dangote training, join refinery as full staff

A fresh batch of 52 young engineers have successfully completed the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Graduate Trainee Programme and are now set to be officially inducted as full-time staff at the Lagos-based refinery, the world’s largest single-train facility.

The new employees, drawn from disciplines including Chemical, Mechanical, and Electrical/Electronic Engineering, marked the end of their rigorous two-year training with a final project presentation and defense before refinery management over the weekend.

They belong to Batch 10 of the training scheme, which has produced hundreds of trained engineers since its inception—even before the refinery’s operational launch.

During the final assessment, the trainee engineers, grouped into teams, showcased their technical projects and were thoroughly evaluated by members of the management.

Representing the Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, the Head of Operations, Manas Banerjee, congratulated the graduating engineers and emphasized the refinery’s culture of continuous innovation.

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“None of you is trained here to become maintenance managers. We don’t do maintenance here—we improve. Innovation is the standard,” Banerjee stated.

Dr. Ebele Oputa, Assistant General Manager, Human Asset Management and Coordinator of the training programme, described the initiative as a comprehensive hands-on experience tailored to match academic theory with real-world refinery operations.

“This two-year programme was designed to develop the engineers’ technical and leadership capabilities. It’s not just about operations; it’s about becoming leaders who can guide teams and innovate within the workplace,” she said.

She added that the engineers were recruited straight after their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), having passed a stringent five-phase recruitment process. All were under 30 at the time of admission.

Each trainee was required to make at least two presentations, complete a written examination, and carry out a final project with a formal defense. Their overall evaluation also included a confidential performance report, serving as an appraisal of both character and competence.

The successful completion of these milestones qualified them for confirmation as full-time refinery staff.

The new engineers expressed deep appreciation to the management, describing the experience as transformative and a “dream come true.” They pledged to uphold the high standards of the refinery and contribute meaningfully to its continued success.

The Dangote Graduate Trainee Programme is part of the company’s broader commitment to nurturing local talent and creating a technically competent workforce for Nigeria’s growing industrial and energy sectors.