President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as the new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He disclosed that the nomination has been forwarded to the Senate for confirmation, in line with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, 2026.
According to the statement, President Tinubu has written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, urging the upper chamber to expedite the confirmation process. Ambassador Yusuf is expected to take over from Professor Abdullahi Usman, who resigned earlier this week after spending about 14 months in office.
Ambassador Yusuf is a seasoned career diplomat with years of service to Nigeria. He previously served as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye between 2021 and 2024.
His appointment comes barely 48 hours after Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman stepped down from his role as head of the commission.
With his diplomatic experience, Yusuf is expected to bring his expertise to bear in overseeing the affairs of the Hajj commission and coordinating Nigeria’s annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.