President Bola Tinubu has nominated Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON, subject to Senate confirmation.
The nomination was contained in a letter sent to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite action on Yusuf’s confirmation to enable a seamless transition at the commission following the resignation of the outgoing chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Usman, earlier this week.
“President Tinubu has requested the expeditious confirmation of Ambassador Yusuf to replace Professor Abdullahi Usman, who resigned after about 14 months in office,” the statement said.
The appointment, in line with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, is subject to legislative approval.
Yusuf, a career diplomat, served as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye between 2021 and 2024.
Usman’s resignation came at a sensitive period for the commission, with preparations already underway for the 2026 Hajj operations, including airline contracts, pilgrims’ welfare arrangements and engagements with Saudi authorities.
NAHCON is the federal agency responsible for regulating and coordinating Hajj and Umrah operations in Nigeria, including licensing tour operators, setting pilgrimage guidelines and ensuring the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims.
If confirmed, Yusuf is expected to steer the commission through the critical planning phase for the 2026 pilgrimage and strengthen coordination between federal, state and private stakeholders in the Hajj sector.
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