The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has named David Bird as the Chief Executive Officer of its petroleum and petrochemicals business, effective July 2025.
The appointment, first reported by S&P Global, comes as the refinery grapples with production challenges and pursues an ambitious fuel distribution network across Nigeria, a move that has already encountered resistance.
Bird, a mechanical engineer and graduate of Imperial College London, also holds an MBA from Stanford University. He brings decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, including senior roles at Shell and Santos Ltd. Notably, he previously led Oman’s Duqm refinery and served as Vice-President of Prelude FLNG at Shell, overseeing the world’s first floating LNG facility.
A company source told TheCable that Bird’s appointment is seen as a strategic step toward stabilising operations and scaling up nationwide fuel supply.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, will retain his position as chairman of the refining arm while continuing as Group CEO, overseeing subsidiaries in cement, fertiliser, and sugar refining.
Bird also previously headed operations at Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery in Singapore, the company’s largest facility globally.
