Dangote Group appoints David Bird as CEO of Fuels and Petrochemicals Division

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The Dangote Group has appointed industry veteran David Bird as Chief Executive Officer of its fuels and petrochemicals division, effective July 2025. Bird, former head of Oman’s Duqm refinery, brings a wealth of experience to the role, including a strategic trading-led mindset, feedstock diversification expertise, and an emphasis on refinery efficiency.

Key Objectives and Challenges

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Bird’s primary focus will be on maximising refinery output and operational efficiency while expanding the company’s footprint across Africa. “My focus will be on maximising refinery output and operational efficiency while advancing the group’s footprint continent-wide,” Bird stated in a LinkedIn post.

The Dangote refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery, has faced challenges, including “unit upsets” and “design issues”, which have slowed down its ramp-up phase. Despite these challenges, the refinery has made significant strides in disrupting Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel, displacing major volumes of gasoline imports

Refinery Performance

In July, the Dangote refinery was Nigeria’s only operational refinery, exporting approximately 220,000 barrels per day of petroleum products. The exports were led by:

– Jet Fuel: 45%

– Gasoil: 24%

– Residual Fuel: 30,000 bpd shipped due to limited RFCC processing capacity

Future Plans

Under Bird’s leadership, the Dangote Group plans to:

– Expand Refinery Capacity: Increase capacity to 700,000 barrels per day

– Develop Port Infrastructure: Enhance port facilities to support refining operations

– Establish Overseas Storage: Set up storage assets in Namibia and other African countries

– Launch Distribution Network: Roll out a 4,000-strong fleet of CNG-powered trucks for fuel distribution

– Dual Listing: List the refining business on both the Lagos and London stock exchanges.

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