Bird formally commenced his post in July 2025, taking command of Dangote’s fuels and petrochemicals company, which launched the world’s largest single-train refinery last year.

Aliko Dangote, founder of the conglomerate, remains chairman of the refining business and CEO of the broader group, which encompasses sectors like cement, fertilizer, and sugar.
According to S&P Global, Bird’s appointment is viewed as a calculated effort to capitalize on his background at OQ8, where he managed the expansion and crude diversification of the Duqm refinery shortly before its 2023 test runs.

Bird told Platts of S&P Global Commodity Insights in a written statement that expanding the group’s presence outside of Nigeria and throughout Africa would be his top goal at Dangote.   On LinkedIn, he added that part of his job is to make sure the refinery runs as efficiently and productively as possible while establishing the company as a leader in refining worldwide.

The action follows many operational setbacks and “design issues” that have hindered the ramp-up of the 650,000 barrels per day (b/d) Lagos refinery. An unfavorable regulatory environment has also been mentioned by the company as a hindrance to operations.

The refinery’s reduction in gasoline imports since its commissioning in January 2024 has had a major effect on Nigeria’s energy market. Aliko Dangote has, however, previously denounced “rent-seeking” trade tactics and imports of inferior fuel as impeding the plant’s development.

Bird previously advocated a strategy focused on trading success, high plant utilization, and adaptable feedstock options in an interview with Platts. Since there are now less supplies of the Nigerian-grade crude that was originally meant for the plant, his strategy supports Dangote’s recent decision to refine a wider variety of crude oils.

The refinery is nevertheless constrained by a naira-based agreement that requires it to supply a certain amount of petroleum products to the domestic market through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, which owns a 7.2% share in the project, despite its aspirations to go worldwide.

In the future, Dangote Group intends to build overseas storage facilities in nations like Namibia, improve port infrastructure, and increase the refinery’s capacity to 700,000 barrels per day.  It plans to launch its own distribution company with a fleet of 4,000 CNG-powered trucks in August.

Plans to list the refining business on the London and Lagos stock markets have also been confirmed by executives.