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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals company has appointed David Bird as the chief executive officer (CEO) of its petroleum and petrochemicals business.
According to S&P Global, which reported the development on Friday, the appointment took effect from July 2025.
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.
The report noted that 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.
Dangote refinery is expected to begin the distribution of fuel to end-users by August 15, deploying 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks for the operation.
A report said Bird, a mechanical engineer, 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,” it said.
The 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) capacity refinery was inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari in May 2023.
