Shell Companies in Nigeria have honoured outgoing Executive Vice President and Country Chair, Marno de Jong, at a farewell event celebrating his more than six years of leadership and contributions to the company’s operations in the country.
The event brought together senior executives, employees, business partners and other stakeholders to recognise de Jong’s role in steering Shell’s Nigerian business through a period marked by major investments, operational milestones and strategic transformation.
De Jong, who joined Shell in 1992 as a project engineer, was appointed Senior Vice President for Nigeria in 2020 before assuming the combined role of Executive Vice President and Country Chair, overseeing all of Shell’s businesses in the country. His 34-year career with the energy giant included leadership positions across the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Nigeria, Australia, the United States, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Shell recently announced that de Jong would be leaving the company to pursue a new opportunity after more than three decades of service. His tenure in Nigeria was characterised by continued investment in deepwater operations, project delivery and efforts to strengthen Shell’s business portfolio in the country.
Speaking during the transition, de Jong expressed confidence in the future of Shell’s operations in Nigeria and commended employees and stakeholders for their support throughout his time in office.
He is being succeeded by Elohor Aiboni, former Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), who assumes office as Executive Vice President and Country Chair on August 1, 2026. Aiboni becomes the first Nigerian to hold the combined leadership position in Shell’s more than six decades of operations in the country.
In accepting the appointment, Aiboni praised de Jong’s leadership, describing his tenure as one that sustained operations and achieved significant progress in project delivery and business growth. She pledged to build on that legacy while working with employees, partners and other stakeholders to advance Shell’s operations in Nigeria.
The leadership transition comes at a time when Shell is reaffirming its commitment to Nigeria’s energy sector, with the company signalling renewed investment in offshore oil and gas projects and continued collaboration with the Federal Government to support the country’s energy development goals.
