Global energy giant Shell has appointed Elohor Aiboni as Executive Vice President and Country Chair for Nigeria, making her the first Nigerian and the first woman to hold the combined top leadership role in the company’s over six decades of operations in the country.
Shell announced the appointment on June 17, 2026, with effect from August 1, 2026. Aiboni takes over from outgoing EVP and Country Chair Marno de Jong, who is leaving the company after a career spanning more than 30 years.
The appointment is not Aiboni’s first historic moment at Shell. In 2021, she became the first woman to serve as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), the company’s deep-water subsidiary in Nigeria — a milestone that similarly drew attention to Shell’s diversity push.
Aiboni brings over 24 years of experience within the Shell Group, spanning offshore, onshore and shallow-water operations in Nigeria, as well as international postings in Kazakhstan and Brunei. Most recently, she served as Asset Director at Brunei Shell Petroleum.
During her earlier tenure as SNEPCo Managing Director, the Bonga field recorded the production of its one-billionth barrel of crude oil, while a number of key offshore investment projects were advanced under her watch.
Shell said her technical depth and leadership track record make her well-placed to steer the company through its next phase in Nigeria, particularly as it sharpens its focus on deep-water exploration and liquefied natural gas investments following recent onshore asset divestments.
Industry observers have described the appointment as a landmark moment for Nigeria’s oil and gas sector — both for the recognition of Nigerian professionals in global energy leadership and for what it signals about gender representation in a historically male-dominated industry.
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