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).
The nomination was disclosed on Wednesday in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement:
“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 office.”
The appointment will only take effect after the Senate confirms it, in line with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act.
Ambassador Yusuf is a career diplomat. He served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Türkiye from 2021 to 2024.
Professor Abdullahi Usman stepped down on Monday, just over a year after he was appointed.
His resignation came at a sensitive time, as preparations for the 2026 Hajj are already ongoing.
NAHCON is the federal agency in charge of organising and supervising Hajj and Umrah operations in Nigeria.
Italso licenses tour operators and oversees the welfare of Nigerian pilgrims.
