Tinubu Appoints Ambassador Yusuf As New Chairman For Nigerian Hajj Commission NAHCON

President Bola Tinubu has nominated Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as the new Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), following the resignation of Prof Abdullahi Usman.

The nomination, announced in a State House press release on Tuesday, comes barely days after Usman stepped down from the position after about 14 months in office.

The statement was signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), and dated February 11, 2026.

According to the statement, “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Amb. Ismail Abba Yusuf as the new Chairman/CEO of the National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).”

The presidency added that “the appointment is subject to the Senate’s approval in accordance with the provisions of section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, 2006.”

Tinubu has formally written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, seeking speedy confirmation of the nominee.

“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 the post,” the statement read.

Ambassador Yusuf is described in the release as “a seasoned Nigerian career diplomat who served as the Nigerian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Türkiye from 2021 to 2024.”

The appointment comes at a critical time for NAHCON, the federal agency responsible for organising and supervising Hajj operations for Nigerian pilgrims.

SaharaReporters had reported that Prof Abdullahi Saleh Usman resigned as Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), stepping down amid revelations that the commission could lose over N25.14 billion from the 2025 Hajj exercise.

In a statement officially released on February 10, Prof Usman announced that his resignation “took effect from Monday, 9th February 2026.”

According to the statement signed by NAHCON’s Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Fatima Sanda Usara, the letter “has been submitted in writing to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in full compliance with Section 3(6) of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2006.”

The former chairman cited “personal grounds, following careful reflection and prayer,” insisting that his departure “is not linked to any dissatisfaction with the Commission, the Federal Government, or the mandate of NAHCON.”

However, his resignation comes against the backdrop of a massive financial scandal uncovered by SaharaReporters.