A wave of leadership transitions across Nigeria’s oil and gas industry is reinforcing the growing dominance of indigenous professionals at the helm of major energy companies, with Shell, Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) and Seplat Energy all announcing key executive changes within months.

The changes, which have swept through the upstream and midstream petroleum sectors during the second quarter of the year, reflect an increasing transfer of leadership responsibilities from expatriate executives to experienced Nigerian professionals.

The latest transition took place at Shell Companies in Nigeria, where stakeholders from government, the energy industry and professional bodies gathered to honour outgoing Executive Vice President Nigeria and Country Chair, Marno de Jong, whose departure paved the way for the appointment of Elohor Aiboni as the new Executive Vice President Nigeria and Country Chair.

Aiboni, who previously served as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), returned from international assignments to become the first woman to lead Shell’s businesses in Nigeria.

Speaking through a recorded farewell message, Shell Plc Chief Executive Officer, Wael Sawan, praised De Jong’s leadership style and contributions to the company.

“The way Marno drives performance is admirable,” Sawan said, thanking him for more than six years of leadership in Nigeria.

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, commended Shell’s investments during De Jong’s tenure, saying they aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.), Bayo Ojulari, represented by Executive Vice President, Upstream, Udobong Ntia, credited De Jong with helping to advance Nigeria’s gas development aspirations.

“We look forward to the next chapter of Shell to deepen our strategic partnership,” Ojulari said.

Among the major milestones recorded during De Jong’s tenure were Shell’s divestment from its onshore oil assets, which culminated in the Renaissance transaction, sustained production at the Bonga deepwater field leading to the milestone of one billion barrels of oil produced, and the execution of the Bonga North and HI projects.

Shell’s senior executives also paid tribute to De Jong’s leadership. President, Upstream, Peter Costello described him as a leader who understood technical excellence, commercial decision-making, partnerships and the importance of people.

Former Country Chair, Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director of SNEPCo, Ronald Adams, Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Gas, Ralph Gbobo and General Manager, Deepwater Oil, Iyke Nnoaham also commended his contributions.

The ceremony culminated in the formal handover of leadership to Aiboni, who said she looked forward to the responsibilities ahead.

“The hard work starts now, and I look forward to the exciting years ahead,” she said.

Responding, De Jong expressed gratitude to government officials, regulators, Shell employees and his family for their support throughout his assignments.

“Nigeria taught me patience. It taught me resilience. It taught me the importance of listening. Above all, it reinforced my belief that progress happens when people come together around a shared purpose,” he said.

The event attracted leading figures from the energy sector, including NLNG Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Adeleye Falade; Midwestern Oil and Gas Chief Executive Officer, Elozino Olaniyan; ExxonMobil Nigeria Chairman and Managing Director, Jagir Baxi; and Aradel Holdings Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Producers Group, Adegbite Falade.

At NLNG, Engr. Adeleye Falade recently assumed office as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Philip Mshelbila, who was appointed Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Falade returns to Nigeria after leading Brunei LNG Sendirian Berhad, where he managed one of the world’s established LNG operations. Earlier, he also served as Shell’s Country Chair for Namibia.

His appointment marks a return to NLNG, where he previously served as General Manager, Production, between 2019 and 2023 and earlier as Operations Manager from 2015 to 2018. He also held the position of Regional Asset Management System Implementation Manager at Shell in The Hague.

With nearly three decades of experience across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Russia and Africa, Falade brings extensive expertise in LNG operations, production optimisation, engineering, operational excellence and business transformation.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MBA from Henley Business School, University of Reading, United Kingdom. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), a registered member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

Falade assumes leadership at a crucial period for NLNG as the company advances its Train 7 expansion project and recently secured long-term gas supply agreements with six third-party suppliers to strengthen feedgas availability for its Bonny Island liquefaction trains.

His appointment also means NLNG is now led by an entirely Nigerian management team, underscoring the company’s commitment to indigenous leadership development.

Seplat Energy is also implementing a major leadership transition.

The company confirmed that Chief Executive Officer Roger Brown will retire on July 31 after 13 years with the company, including six years as CEO.

During his tenure, Seplat completed two landmark acquisitions—the purchase of Eland Oil and Gas in 2019 and Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPNU) in 2024—significantly expanding the company’s production base.

The Board has appointed Engr. Effiong Okon as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director with effect from August 1, 2026.

Okon has more than 35 years of industry experience and has served as Operations Director, New Energy Director and most recently Managing Director of ANOH Gas Processing Company, where he led the project to first gas in January 2026.

Seplat also announced that its Chairman, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, will retire on December 31, 2026, after overseeing the integration of MPNU and the development of the company’s 2030 strategic plan.

The Board has elected businessman and investor Tony O. Elumelu as Chairman with effect from January 1, 2027. Elumelu joined the Board in January 2026 and is Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, which owns a 20.07 per cent stake in Seplat Energy.

The succession plans at Shell, NLNG and Seplat Energy underscore a broader shift within Nigeria’s petroleum industry, with experienced Nigerian professionals increasingly assuming leadership of some of the country’s largest and most strategic energy companies.