President Bola Tinubu has nominated Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), subject to Senate confirmation.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the nomination was made in accordance with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, 2006. Tinubu has written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, seeking expeditious confirmation of Yusuf’s appointment.

Yusuf’s nomination comes 48 hours after Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman resigned as NAHCON chairman after about 14 months in office.

A seasoned career diplomat, Yusuf served as Nigeria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye from 2021 to 2024. If confirmed, he will head the agency responsible for coordinating Hajj operations in Nigeria.