The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has named David Bird as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its petroleum and petrochemicals business, with the appointment taking effect from July 2025.
The development was first reported by S&P Global on Friday and comes as the refinery navigates production hurdles and intensifies efforts to expand its fuel distribution network across Nigeria — a project already facing notable resistance.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Bird is a seasoned mechanical engineer and an alumnus of Imperial College London. He also holds an MBA from Stanford University. The source added that Bird brings over two decades of experience from Shell, where he held key leadership roles.
Bird previously served as CEO of the Duqm Refinery in Oman and held the position of Senior Vice President of Production Operations and Supply Chain at Santos Ltd. At Shell, he led the groundbreaking Prelude Floating LNG (FLNG) facility and chaired Shell Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) board. He also managed operations at Pulau Bukom, Shell’s largest refinery in Singapore.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Industries Limited, will retain his role as Chairman of the refining business while continuing as Group CEO overseeing other subsidiaries, including cement, fertiliser, and sugar refining.
In a LinkedIn post cited by S&P Global, Bird said he will focus on scaling up production, enhancing operational efficiency, and expanding the company’s market presence beyond Nigeria to other parts of Africa. He pledged to drive maximum output and position the company as a global industry leader.
His appointment comes at a crucial time for the Dangote Refinery, which is ramping up operations to assert its position as a dominant force in Africa’s energy sector.
The refinery, which has a processing capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, was inaugurated in May 2023 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. On January 12, 2024, the facility began producing diesel and aviation fuel after receiving its sixth one-million-barrel shipment of crude oil.
Petrol production commenced on September 3, 2024, with the company stating that its products meet global standards and are competitive internationally. The refinery has since entered an exclusive partnership with US-based Premier Product Marketing LLC to export polypropylene to markets outside Nigeria and Africa.
By August 15, 2025, the Dangote Refinery is expected to start distributing fuel directly to end-users across Nigeria using a fleet of 4,000 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered trucks.