Elohor Aiboni has assumed office as Executive Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Nigeria, becoming the first woman to hold the country chair position and the first Nigerian to combine both roles at the energy company.
Aiboni formally took over from her predecessor, Marno de Jong, at a handover ceremony held in Lagos on July 28, marking a new phase in her career with Shell.
The chemical engineer joined Shell in 2002 and has held several leadership positions within the company. In 2021, she made history as the first woman to become Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, the company’s deepwater production arm in Nigeria.
In her new role, Aiboni will oversee Shell’s interests across several areas of Nigeria’s energy sector, including deepwater oil and gas production, industrial gas supply, distributed power and renewable energy investments.
Her responsibilities come at a time when Shell is advancing major projects in Nigeria. The Bonga North development, which received a final investment decision in December 2024, is progressing towards production, with first oil expected before the end of the decade.
The company is also developing the HI gas project, which is expected to supply up to 350 million standard cubic feet of gas per day at peak production to Nigeria LNG.
Shell’s wider Nigerian portfolio includes Shell Nigeria Gas, which supplies natural gas to more than 150 industrial customers, and Daystar Power, which provides hybrid energy solutions to businesses across West Africa.
Through All On, its impact investment company, Shell is also supporting renewable energy businesses in Nigeria. The company said its portfolio of 53 energy companies has provided more than 300,000 energy connections across the country.
At Nigeria LNG, where Shell has a 25.6 per cent stake and acts as technical adviser, work on Train 7 is also continuing. The project is expected to increase the facility’s annual production capacity from 22 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes when completed.
Speaking on her new responsibility, Aiboni said she was aware of the legacy she had inherited but remained confident in Shell Nigeria’s people, partnerships and future opportunities.
She said her focus would be on building on the company’s existing achievements and working with its workforce to deliver further growth.
Aiboni also acknowledged the scale of the task ahead, saying, “The hard work starts now,” as she expressed optimism about the years ahead.
Her appointment places her at the centre of Shell Nigeria’s strategy across oil, gas, power and renewable energy as the company seeks to expand its contribution to the country’s energy supply and economic development.
