The Women in Energy Network (WIEN) has congratulated Elohor Aiboni on her appointment as Executive Vice President and Country Chair of Shell Companies in Nigeria, describing the elevation as a defining milestone for female leadership and indigenous representation in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
Aiboni’s appointment makes her the first Nigerian and first woman to hold the combined position in Shell’s more than six decades of operations in the country. The Sun Nigeria The new appointment takes effect August 1, 2026. National Accord Newspaper
WIEN, an association established in 2020 to provide a platform for women who work across the energy industry value chain to network, build confidence, and progress their careers, Wien has consistently championed the advancement of women into senior leadership positions across Nigeria’s energy sector. Aiboni’s ascent to Shell’s highest office in Nigeria represents precisely the kind of milestone the network was established to celebrate and sustain.
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Aiboni, a former Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), was previously on assignment as Asset Director at Brunei Shell Petroleum. She brings over 24 years of experience within Shell across Nigeria’s offshore, shallow water, and onshore businesses, with international assignments in Kazakhstan and Brunei. National Accord Newspaper
She previously served as Managing Director of SNEPCo, becoming the first woman to lead the company’s deepwater business in Nigeria in 2021. During her tenure, the Bonga deepwater field achieved a significant milestone, producing its one-billionth barrel of oil in 2023. Instinctbusiness She departed for Brunei in 2024, where she oversaw asset performance, production, and project delivery before her latest appointment.
Aiboni is a graduate of Chemical Engineering from the University of Benin and holds a Master’s degree in Integrated Environmental Management from the University of Bath, UK. She is a Fellow of the Energy Institute, the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers, and has served on the WIEN board. Glue Up
Her connection to WIEN extends beyond recognition. She has been an active figure within the network, making her elevation to Shell’s top Nigerian office a moment of institutional pride for an organization she has been part of since its founding years.
Aiboni succeeds Marno de Jong, who is leaving Shell after a 34-year career with the company. De Jong, who joined Shell in 1992 as a Project Engineer, served across Project Delivery, Engineering, Commercial, and Upstream Development in the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Nigeria, Australia, the United States, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and Indonesia. National Accord Newspaper
Expressing confidence in his successor, de Jong said: “I’m confident that Shell operations in Nigeria will continue to deliver value and growth under Elohor, given the strong leadership credentials she brings to the roles.” Business Journal
Responding to her appointment, Aiboni said she looks forward to contributing to the continued growth of Shell’s business in Nigeria. “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. QED.NG
Aiboni’s appointment further reinforces the growing influence of Nigerian professionals in the global energy industry and represents a major milestone for diversity and local leadership within Shell’s worldwide operations. Business Post Nigeria
For WIEN, the appointment lands as validation of a decade-long institutional argument: that women in Nigeria’s energy sector, given the right conditions and institutional support, are fully equipped to lead at the highest levels of the industry’s most consequential organizations.
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