Dangote Refinery Names David Bird as New CEO 

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird as the new Chief Executive Officer of its fuels and petrochemicals division, marking a significant leadership change aimed at strengthening operations and scaling up production.

In a statement cited in a report by S&P Global, the former CEO of Oman’s Duqm Refinery officially assumed office in July 2025, taking over the reins of what is described as the world’s largest single-train refinery. Prior to this, Bird held key roles including Head of Operations at Shell’s Balau Pokom Refinery and Chief Executive at OQ8 in Oman, where he oversaw the expansion of the Duqm complex.

“This appointment,” the report stated, “comes as Nigeria’s Dangote Group seeks to tackle production challenges and enter a new phase of growth across Africa’s refining and petrochemical markets.”

Bird was also seen participating in the recent Dangote Leadership Development Program Graduation Ceremony, signalling the company’s broader commitment to leadership development and internal capacity building.

The new CEO will focus on maximising output, improving operational efficiency, and expanding the company’s presence beyond Nigeria. According to his statement on LinkedIn, Bird intends to establish the group as a competitive global player, leveraging high plant utilisation and flexible feedstock processing.

Aliko Dangote, who remains Chairman of the refining arm and CEO of the overall Dangote Group, will continue to oversee the company’s interests across its cement, fertiliser, and sugar businesses.

The change in leadership comes at a time when the 650,000-barrel-per-day Lagos refinery faces technical and operational hurdles. Since its commissioning in January 2024, the facility has experienced a series of unit disruptions and design issues—particularly with its residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC), a core unit for gasoline production.

Despite the setbacks, the refinery has made significant market gains, replacing a large share of Nigeria’s imported fuel with domestically refined products. In July 2025, with NNPC refineries offline, the Dangote plant was Nigeria’s sole active refiner and exported 220,000 barrels per day, according to S&P Global data.

Jet fuel led the refinery’s export volume, accounting for 45 per cent, followed by gasoil at 24 per cent. Residual fuel exports stood at 30,000 b/d—volumes typically retained for further processing when the RFCC is fully operational.

Speaking to Platts earlier in July, a Dangote official noted that the RFCC was running at 85 per cent capacity and dismissed claims of a planned shutdown in December.

As part of its expansion strategy, the Dangote Group plans to increase refining capacity to 700,000 barrels per day, launch a distribution arm with 4,000 CNG-powered trucks, and establish storage terminals in Namibia and other regions. The company also reaffirmed plans to list its refining business on both the Lagos and London stock exchanges.

While challenges persist, the group’s accelerated ramp-up in 2024 took many market observers by surprise, with analysts acknowledging its growing influence on global fuel markets.