Simbi Wabote

Simbi Wabote, from Bayelsa State, Nigeria, guided the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) through a period of significant growth as Executive Secretary from November 2016 to December 2023. His leadership saw Nigerian Content levels rise from under 5% before the NOGICD Act to 54% by 2023.

Wabote joined NCDMB after an extensive career at Shell, where he held positions including Executive Board member of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, General Manager for Government and Business Relations, and General Manager of Procurement. His international experience included serving as Shell's Global Local Content Strategist in the UAE.

At NCDMB, Wabote implemented a 10-year Strategic Roadmap centered on five pillars: Technical Capability Development, Compliance and Enforcement, Enabling Business Environment, Organizational Capability, and Sectorial and Regional Market Linkages. Under his watch, NCDMB ranked first among government agencies in Nigeria's Ease of Doing Business index.

His initiatives included partnerships for modular refineries, gas processing facilities, and manufacturing plants across Nigeria, creating approximately 198,000 jobs. He also spearheaded the completion of the 17-story Nigerian Content Tower headquarters in Yenagoa.

A civil engineer by training, Wabote graduated from Rivers State University of Science and Technology and earned a Master's degree in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University. He furthered his education through leadership programs at INSEAD and Harvard University.

Wabote's hobbies include golfing, reading, swimming, and watching soccer.