The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird, former CEO of Oman’s Duqm Refinery, as its new Chief Executive Officer in a strategic move aimed at overcoming production challenges and driving its next phase of growth.
According to a report by S&P Global on Friday, Bird officially assumed the role in July 2025, stepping in to lead Dangote Group’s fuels and petrochemicals division. This includes managing the world’s largest single-train refinery, which was commissioned in January 2024.
Bird brings a wealth of experience from his time as head of Shell’s Balau Pokom refinery and more recently as CEO of OQ8, where he oversaw expansion and crude diversification at Oman’s Duqm complex. His appointment reflects Dangote’s renewed focus on boosting output, improving efficiency, and expanding into new African markets.
Strategic Shift for the Dangote Group
The new CEO’s presence was noted at the recent Dangote Leadership Development Program Graduation Ceremony, underscoring his early involvement in the group’s leadership and operational priorities.
“Bird’s focus will be on expanding Dangote’s footprint beyond Nigeria and establishing the group as a global refining leader,” a LinkedIn update noted.
Although Aliko Dangote will remain Chairman of the refinery and CEO of the wider conglomerate, Bird will be tasked with addressing operational issues and steering the refinery toward full-scale, consistent production.
The appointment comes after several setbacks, including unit upsets and design flaws that have slowed the ramp-up of the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery. While test runs of the residue fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) began in late 2024, the unit has faced multiple outages in 2025, affecting gasoline production and forcing reliance on the lower-yield reformer.
Addressing Domestic and Export Needs
Despite these challenges, the refinery has quickly carved out a dominant position in Nigeria’s fuel market, reducing the country’s reliance on imported gasoline. In July 2025, Nigeria exported approximately 220,000 b/d of petroleum products—Dangote’s facility accounted for the bulk of this, as NNPC-operated plants remained offline.
Exports included:
- Jet fuel – 45% of total shipments
- Gasoil – 24%
- Residual fuel – 30,000 b/d, typically meant for internal processing
However, the refinery still operates under a naira-based trade agreement with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), which owns a 7.2% stake and requires Dangote to sell a fixed volume of refined products into the domestic market.
What’s Next for Dangote Refinery
Looking ahead, the Dangote Group plans to:
- Expand refining capacity to 700,000 b/d
- Launch a distribution business in August 2025 with 4,000 CNG-powered trucks
- Develop foreign storage terminals, including in Namibia
- Pursue a dual listing of the refining business on the London and Lagos stock exchanges
Despite years of delays, analysts were surprised by the refinery’s swift ramp-up in 2024, which even impacted global oil prices. Bird’s leadership is expected to help stabilize operations and position Dangote as a major player in both African and global energy markets.
“He wasn’t brought in just to fix problems — he’s here to scale the business,” said a Dangote executive earlier in July.
With Bird now at the helm, the Dangote refinery appears set to move from a challenging startup phase to a more aggressive growth and consolidation phase, both regionally and globally.