President Bola Tinubu has appointed Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, the appointment is subject to confirmation by the Senate as required by the NAHCON Act.
The President has formally written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, seeking speedy confirmation of the nominee.
Yusuf is set to replace Professor Abdullahi Usman, who resigned earlier this week after about 14 months in office.
No official explanation was provided for Usman’s resignation at the time of filing this report.
Ambassador Yusuf is a career diplomat with extensive experience in foreign service.
He served as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye between 2021 and 2024.
His nomination comes at a critical period as preparations for future Hajj operations gather pace.
Professor Usman was appointed in 2024 and supervised his first Hajj exercise in 2025.
He had taken over from Jalal Arabi, who was removed from office amid allegations of financial misconduct.
Arabi was investigated over the alleged mismanagement of funds allocated for the 2024 pilgrimage.
With Yusuf’s nomination, the Tinubu administration is seeking continuity and stability in the management of Nigeria’s Hajj affairs.
The Senate is expected to deliberate on the nomination in the coming days.
