LAGOS, Sept. 1(Xinhuanet)-- Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has appointed new heads to oversee its affairs in Africa and the continent's top oil producer, Nigeria, a company statement said Thursday.

The latest changes in the leadership structure of Shell's African operations, saw Ann Pickard appointed the executive vice president for Africa, while Basil Omiyi appointed the country chairman for all Shell subsidiaries in Nigeria.

Pickard is to be based in Nigeria's largest city Lagos, succeeding Chris Finlayson, who becomes executive vice president of Shell's exploration and production business in Russia, the statement said.

Commenting on her new position, Pickard said she was"honored,"and"Africa continues to be important to Shell and contribute to Shell's strategy of more upstream."

"Our total oil production across the continent is more than 400,000 barrels a day, making up 17 percent of our total production," she said.

Omiyi, also current managing director for the Shell Petroleum Development Co.(SPDC), the first Nigerian to occupy the post, is expected to oversee all Shell Companies in Nigeria, including Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Co., Shell Nigeria Oil Products and Shell Nigeria Gas.

"I am delighted to add to my role a broader responsibility for Shell's activities in Nigeria. I look forward to continuing to lead Shell's development of Nigeria's natural resources and working with a broad range of partners in Nigeria," he was quoted as saying.

The SPDC, co-owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., Shell and other oil giants, produces almost half of Nigeria's daily exports of 2.5 million barrels of crude. Enditem