Tinubu appoints ex-ambassador Ismail Yusuf as new NAHCON chairman

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ismail Abba Yusuf as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy.

“The appointment is subject to the Senate’s approval in accordance with the provisions of section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, 2026,” the statement reads.

“President Tinubu sent a letter today to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, requesting the expeditious confirmation of Ambassador Yusuf to replace Professor Abdullahi Usman, who resigned this week, after about 14 months in the post.”

Yusuf’s appointment follows the resignation of Abdullahi Usman, the immediate past NAHCON chairman, on Monday.

He served as Nigeria’s ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye from 2021 to 2024.

TheCable reported that Usman tendered his resignation letter following “deep personal reflection”.

In August 2024, Tinubu appointed Usman as NAHCON chairman following the sack of Jalal Arabi, who was under probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged mismanagement of the N90 billion presidential subsidy for the 2024 hajj.