The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the appointment of Ambassador Ismail Yusuf Abba as the new Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The appointment follows the resignation of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman on Monday, 9 February 2025. The announcement was made on 11 February in a press statement issued by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations, Fatima Sanda Usara, on behalf of NAHCON.
The statement reads: “Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf is a retired Career Diplomat, and the immediate past Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Turkiye. Born on 7 July 1962 at Mubi, Adamawa State, Northeast Nigeria, Yusuf graduated from Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto State, Northwest Nigeria in 1985 with an Honours degree in Political Science.”
“He completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps [NYSC] programme at the Ijebu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture in 1986, and immediately gained employment in the Foreign Service in December 1986. He attended several advanced professional courses and rose to the rank of Director in 2013.”
Ambassador Yusuf was subsequently appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkiye in 2021. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in strengthening strategic relations with Turkiye, focusing on defence, security, trade, investment, and industrial collaboration.
“At headquarters, he handled various roles across Directorates, including Analysis, Operations, Training, Administration, as well as Pilgrims Affairs, where he anchored the secretariat of the Presidential Committees on Hajj [PCH] from 2002 to 2007. The PCH had a mandate to initiate, design, and implement effective policies for the smooth conduct of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia by Nigerian Muslims.”
The delegation’s findings informed the early operations of NAHCON, particularly the establishment of the Hajj Savings Scheme. Ambassador Yusuf was also Secretary of two successive Federal Government Delegations [Amirul Hajj] in 2012 and 2013.
“From 2011 to 2013, following deployment to the Presidential Villa, Ambassador Yusuf worked as Special Assistant on Presidential Matters – Office of the Chief of Staff to the President. The schedule of duty included summary/analysis of memos and assisting the Chief of Staff in the management of the President’s programmes. Ambassador Yusuf is proficient in Hausa, Yoruba, Igala, English, and Spanish,” the statement added.
“NAHCON Management has welcomed the new appointment and expressed its readiness to support the new Chairman, while also calling on staff and stakeholders to extend their full cooperation and support as well. This is particularly critical at a time when preparations for the forthcoming Hajj season are at an advanced stage,” it concluded.
