Dangote Refinery Appoints David Bird as CEO to Boost 650,000-Barrel Output

Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird, formerly head of Oman’s Duqm Refinery and a former Shell executive, as CEO to lead its fuels and petrochemicals division. Bird's expertise in refinery operations and feedstock diversification is expected to address production challenges at the world’s largest single-train refinery, which has faced equipment malfunctions and design issues since its commissioning in January 2024. The 650,000-barrel-per-day refinery has significantly reduced Nigeria's dependence on imported gasoline and begun exporting petroleum products, despite difficulties such as unit outages and a challenging business environment with competition from substandard fuel imports. Bird aims to maximize refinery output and efficiency while expanding Dangote's refining footprint beyond Nigeria to become a leading player in Africa and globally. Aliko Dangote remains chairman of the refining business and CEO of the broader conglomerate, which spans cement, fertilizers, and sugar refining. This leadership change underscores Dangote Group’s commitment to scaling up operations and cementing its dominance in the African refining and petrochemical sectors.