Mrs. Elohor Aiboni

The Women in Maritime and Energy (WIME), a leading platform dedicated to the identification and recognition of outstanding women in Nigeria’s maritime and energy sectors, has congratulated Mrs. Elohor Aiboni, on her appointment as Executive Vice President and Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, making her the first Nigerian to occupy the combined leadership position in the global energy major’s operations in the country.

Mrs. Aiboni is a former WIME awardee becomes the first woman in Nigeria’s history to lead multinational upstream company petroleum a development widely regarded as a major milestone for gender representation in the energy sector.

She is a trailblazing Nigerian energy executive who made history in 2026 by becoming the first Nigerian and the first woman to be appointed Executive Vice President and Country Chair for Shell Plc in Nigeria. Her career represents a journey of breaking down barriers in the global oil and gas industry.

She is a Chemical Engineering graduate from the University of Benin with a Master’s from the University of Bath; she began at Shell Nigeria via the Intensive Training Programme. Rising through the ranks, she was the first female Asset Operations Manager for the Bonga deepwater FPSO vessel and later served as a Business Adviser for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Mrs. Aiboni became the first female Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo), overseeing the Bonga field’s milestone of one billion barrels in output by 2023.

Speaking on Aiboni’s appointment, WIME Executive Director, Tunbosun Afolayan, described the appointment as a significant step forward for gender inclusion and future-ready leadership in Nigeria’s energy industry.

Aiboni broadened her expertise as an asset director at Brunei Shell Petroleum.

On August 1, 2026, she will assume the role of Executive Vice President and Country Chair for Nigeria, becoming the first homegrown Nigerian to lead all of Shell’s operations in the country.