Ololade Adeyanju/
Global energy giant, Shell, has appointed veteran Nigerian oil executive Elohor Aiboni as its new Executive Vice President and Country Chair for Nigeria, succeeding Marno de Jong, who is leaving the company after more than three decades of service.
The appointment, which takes effect on August 1, 2026, marks a significant milestone for Shell’s operations in Nigeria, with Aiboni becoming the first Nigerian to occupy the combined position of Executive Vice President and Country Chair for the company in the country.
Aiboni, who currently serves as Asset Director at Brunei Shell Petroleum, returns to Nigeria with more than 24 years of experience across Shell’s offshore, shallow-water and onshore businesses. Her career has also included international assignments in Kazakhstan and Brunei. She previously served as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), becoming the first woman to hold the position in 2021.
Her tenure at SNEPCo was marked by notable achievements, including the attainment of the one-billionth barrel of oil production from the Bonga deep-water asset in 2023. She later moved to Brunei in 2024, where she has been responsible for asset performance, production and project delivery.
Aiboni takes over from de Jong, who joined Shell in 1992 as a Project Engineer and built a distinguished 34-year career spanning project delivery, engineering, commercial operations and upstream development across several countries, including the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Nigeria, Australia, the United States, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Since assuming leadership of Shell’s Nigerian operations in 2020, de Jong has overseen key milestones in the company’s upstream business. Under his watch, the flagship Bonga asset maintained performance levels above operational targets, while major investment decisions advanced on strategic projects such as the HI offshore gas project and the Bonga North development.
Reflecting on his time in Nigeria, de Jong expressed gratitude to colleagues and stakeholders for their support.
“I’m grateful for the support I have enjoyed since my time in Nigeria which has enabled us to achieve progress on many fronts. I leave with fond memories of warm friendships and strong support from colleagues in Shell and our partners,” he said.
He added that he was confident Shell’s Nigerian business would continue to grow under Aiboni’s leadership, citing her strong credentials and extensive industry experience.
In her acceptance remarks, Aiboni described the appointment as an opportunity to build on the achievements of her predecessor and further strengthen Shell’s contribution to Nigeria’s energy sector.
“I’m excited at the opportunity to continue to contribute to the efficient delivery of Shell’s business in Nigeria and thereby power progress in a country we’ve been part of for more than 60 years,” she said.
She praised de Jong for sustaining operations, driving project delivery and positioning the company for future growth, adding that she looked forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to expand on that legacy.
The leadership transition comes at a pivotal time for Shell’s Nigerian operations, as the company continues to pursue major deep-water and gas investments aimed at boosting production, strengthening energy security and supporting economic growth in Africa’s largest oil-producing nation. Recent developments around the Bonga North project and other offshore investments underscore Nigeria’s strategic importance within Shell’s global portfolio.
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