TINUBU APPOINTS NEW NAHCON CHAIRMAN

Read Time:1 Minute, 39 Second

HOTJIST NEWS

President Bola Tinubu has chosen Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf to be the new head and top leader of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

This news was shared in a statement on Wednesday by Bayo Onanuga, who is the President’s special adviser on information and strategy.

The statement said that President Tinubu wrote a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, asking for quick approval of Ambassador Yusuf’s appointment.
This is to replace Professor Abdullahi Usman, who recently left his job after serving for about 14 months.

The new appointment was made public on Wednesday and needs to be approved by the Senate, as stated in Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act.

Yusuf is a career diplomat and served as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye between 2021 and 2024.

NAHCON is the federal agency responsible for the regulation and coordination of Hajj and Umrah operations in Nigeria, including the licensing of tour operators and the welfare of pilgrims.

In a statement from Abuja, Usman explained that his choice to step down was due to personal reasons, and he made it clear that this decision did not show any problems with the commission, the government, or its responsibilities.

He said he arrived at the decision after careful reflection and consultation with his family and thanked the President, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the NAHCON board, management staff, and other stakeholders for their support during his tenure.

His resignation follows a petition submitted by 11 NAHCON board members to Tinubu on January 19, 2026, calling for his removal over alleged financial indiscipline, lack of transparency, and repeated approval of expenditures and contracts beyond board approval and budget limits.

The board also accused him of awarding Hajj-related contracts in violation of the Bureau of Public Procurement Act, exposing the commission to legal, financial, and reputational risks.

Usman, however, denied any wrongdoing, insisting that his resignation was motivated solely by personal considerations.