British energy giant Shell Plc has appointed Elohor Aiboni as its new Executive Vice President and Country Chair for Nigeria, succeeding Marno de Jong, who stepped down after more than six years leading the company’s operations in the country. The announcement was made via a statement on Shell’s official X account on Thursday.
Marno de Jong’s Tenure
Shell stated that de Jong oversaw a period of strong operational performance and major investment decisions in Nigeria. Under his leadership, Nigeria’s flagship Bonga deepwater asset maintained availability levels above target. The company also credited him with advancing key investment decisions, including the HI offshore gas project and the Bonga North development.
Elohor Aiboni: First Nigerian in Combined Role
Shell confirmed that Aiboni is the first Nigerian to assume the combined position of Executive Vice President and Country Chair Nigeria. She brings over 24 years of experience within the company, having worked across Nigeria’s offshore, shallow-water, and onshore operations, as well as international assignments in Kazakhstan and Brunei. Aiboni became Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) in 2021, becoming the first woman to hold that position. During her tenure, the Bonga field achieved a major milestone with the production of its one-billionth barrel of oil in 2023. She later moved to Brunei in 2024, where she oversaw asset performance, production, and project delivery. The appointment takes effect on 1 August 2026.
Renewed Investment Interest
Aiboni’s appointment comes about six months after Shell signalled plans to deepen its investments in Nigeria, citing improvements in policy consistency, political stability, and government leadership. During a visit to President Bola Tinubu in January, Shell’s CEO, Wael Sawan, said, “We are very keen to invest in Nigeria. But I would say this has not always been the case.”
Legacy and Environmental Concerns
For over three decades, Shell has been a dominant player in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry, primarily through the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC). While the company’s operations have generated substantial revenue for the government, they have also been associated with environmental degradation, community grievances, and legal disputes. Shell has faced lawsuits in the UK and Netherlands over oil pollution in the Niger Delta. In 2021, a Dutch court ordered Shell to compensate Nigerian farmers for environmental damage from oil spills. A PREMIUM TIMES investigation found that oil-producing communities, including those in Ogoniland, continue to grapple with hydrocarbon pollution, with recurring spills contaminating farmlands and waterways. Another investigation documented toxic gas leaks from an oil field in Bille, Rivers State, originally developed by Shell and later acquired by Eroton. Recent BBC evidence suggested Shell continued operating the Bille field and Nembe Creek Trunk Line despite internal concerns about environmental risks and ageing infrastructure, amid legal proceedings by Niger Delta communities over pollution from over 100 spills between 2011 and 2013.
