Dangote Refinery Appoints Former Shell Executive David Bird as CEO

[Ayodeji adebayo]

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has named David Bird, a seasoned oil and gas executive and former Shell leader, as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its petroleum and petrochemicals division. The appointment took effect in July 2025, according to a report by S&P Global.

Bird’s appointment comes at a crucial time for the refinery, as it works to overcome production bottlenecks and scale its distribution network across Nigeria. The ambitious expansion strategy includes a nationwide fuel supply initiative set to launch this month — a plan already encountering resistance from parts of the downstream sector.

A source within the Dangote Group confirmed Bird’s extensive industry background, noting that he is a mechanical engineer and graduate of Imperial College London, with an MBA from Stanford University.

Extensive Global Experience
Bird brings over two decades of experience in upstream and downstream operations. He is the former CEO of Oman’s Duqm Refinery and held senior leadership roles at Santos Ltd., including SVP of Production Operations and Supply Chain.

During his time at Shell, Bird led major projects, including serving as Vice President of Prelude FLNG, the world’s first floating liquefied natural gas facility. He also chaired Shell Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) board and headed operations at Pulau Bukom in Singapore — Shell’s largest global refinery.

Leadership Structure and Strategic Focus
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, will continue to serve as Chairman of the refinery while retaining his position as Group CEO of the broader conglomerate, which includes cement, sugar, and fertiliser operations.

In a LinkedIn update cited by S&P, Bird shared his enthusiasm for the role, stating that his primary focus will be to maximize operational efficiency and output while expanding the company’s footprint beyond Nigeria to wider African and global markets.

“This is a pivotal time in Africa’s energy space, and I’m honored to help steer the Dangote Refinery toward becoming a global market leader,” Bird said.

Commissioned in May 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, the 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) Dangote Refinery is Africa’s largest and one of the most sophisticated globally.

Key milestones include:

January 12, 2024 – Commencement of diesel and aviation fuel production following the sixth delivery of one million barrels of crude oil.

September 3, 2024 – Petrol production begins, with the company stating the output meets global quality standards.

Strategic partnership with Premier Product Marketing LLC, a U.S.-based firm, to export polypropylene outside Nigeria and Africa.

Looking ahead, the refinery is set to launch fuel distribution to end-users on August 15, 2025, using a fleet of 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks as part of its green logistics initiative.

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