President Bola Tinubu has written to the Senate seeking confirmation of the nomination of Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf as the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, NAHCON.

This was disclosed on Tuesday, via a letter addressed to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and read during plenary.

Tinubu explained that the request was made in compliance with the provisions of the law guiding appointments into the commission, and therefore, urged the upper legislative chamber to expedite consideration of the nominee in line with Section 3(2) of the NAHCON Act, 2006.

“While it is my hope that the senate will consider and confirm the appointment expeditiously, please accept, Mr Senate President and distinguished Senators, the assurances of my highest regards,” the letter read.

Tinubu had last week nominated Yusuf, a retired career diplomat, and the immediate past Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of Turkiye as the NAHCON’s new chairman following the resignation of Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman a.k.a Pakistani.

Born on July 7, 1962 at Mubi, Adamawa State, Yusuf graduated from Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1985 with an Honors degree in Political Science. He completed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps, NYSC program at the Ijebu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture in 1986, and immediately gained employment into the Foreign Service in December 1986.

The chairmanship nominee attended several advanced professional courses and rose to the rank of Director in 2013. He was subsequently appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkiye in 2021.

He played a pivotal role in accelerating strategic relationships with Turkiye focused heavily on defense, security, trade and investment, and industrial collaboration.