Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has announced the appointment of Abdallah Simba as the new General Manager for its Nigeria operations, effective May 1, 2025.

Abdallah brings nearly two decades of commercial and strategic leadership experience to the role, having held key positions across multiple markets and at JTI’s global headquarters in Geneva.

He joined JTI in Tanzania in 2005 in Marketing before taking on an international assignment in Ireland in 2009. He later transitioned into broader commercial roles, leading various Sales and Trade Marketing capabilities with increasing responsibility. In 2013, Abdallah moved to JTI’s global headquarters in Geneva, where he progressed into senior roles within the Global Commercial Strategy function. In these roles, he led the optimization of business models, guided market strategies, and up-skilled commercial teams across a wide range of markets.

Most recently, Abdallah served as Country Manager for Slovakia, where he successfully led profitable multicategory growth and operational strengthening, positioning the business for long-term sustainability.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University in International Business.

Abdallah’s appointment underscores JTI’s commitment and ambition to deepen its footprint in the Nigerian market. He succeeds Thomas Adams, who has led the Nigerian business successfully over the past four years.

Speaking on his new appointment, Abdallah said, “I am delighted to lead JTI Nigeria at this time. Nigeria is an important market with tremendous potential, and I look forward to working with the amazing team here to continue to grow our business in a sustainable manner.”