The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird as the chief executive officer (CEO) of its petroleum and petrochemicals business.
The appointment took effect from July 2025, according to S&P Global, which first reported the development on Friday.
The move comes at a time when the refinery is striving to surmount production challenges and advance its expansion plans, which include a nationwide distribution of fuel in Nigeria — a scheme already facing significant pushback.
According to sources, Bird, a mechanical engineer, has worked with Shell for about 20 years.
“He is a mechanical engineer. A graduate of Imperial College, London. He has an MBA from Sandford University,” the source said.
According to the report, Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, will retain his role as chairman of the refining business while continuing to serve as CEO of the broader group, which operates cement, fertiliser, and sugar refining subsidiaries.
Bird is the former head of Oman’s Duqm refinery. He previously served as SVP of production operations and supply chain at Santos Ltd.
As vice-president of Prelude FLNG at Shell, he led the world’s first floating LNG facility and chaired Shell Australia’s RAP board. The oil and gas professional also served as head of operations at Pulau Bukom in Singapore, Shell’s largest refinery.
Commenting on his latest appointment, Bird said his focus would be on expanding the group’s footprint beyond the Nigerian market and across the African continent.
In a LinkedIn update cited by S&P, he added that he would be responsible for driving maximum output and operational efficiency to position the company as a global market leader.
Bird’s appointment comes at a pivotal time for the refinery as it ramps up operations and cements its position as a major player in Africa’s energy sector.
The 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity refinery was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2023.
On January 12, 2024, the refinery announced the commencement of diesel and aviation fuel production following the delivery of its sixth one-million-barrel crude cargo.
The plant, on September 3, 2024, confirmed the start of petrol production at the facility, stating that the product meets global quality standards and can compete with products from any part of the world
The refinery later announced an exclusive partnership with Premier Product Marketing LLC, a US-based field marketing company, to export its polypropylene to global markets outside Nigeria and Africa.
By August 15, Dangote refinery is expected to begin the distribution of fuel to end-users, deploying 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks for the operation.
