The Nigerian Governors’ Forum has confirmed new appointments as part of efforts to reform its secretariat and align operations with international best practices.

In a statement on Sunday, the new director of Media and Strategic Communications, Yunusa Abdullahi, said the move would strengthen capacity in human capital, security, economy, and communication.

Mr Abdullahi explained that the appointments followed a comprehensive review by Deloitte, which was engaged to re-engineer NGF processes and reinforce its mandate as a subnational policy hub. 

He stressed that the changes were not merely administrative but marked a deliberate shift towards a more agile and results-driven institution.

According to him, the new leadership team is led by Abdulateef Shittu, who now serves as the director-general. Other appointments include Edmund Nnaji, a seasoned legal practitioner with extensive experience in corporate law, as executive director of Finance and Administration.

Dauda Yinusa, a former Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, was named executive director of Policy, Strategy and Research.

Ahmad Abdulwahab was appointed executive director of Programmes and Partnerships, bringing his deep expertise in health systems reform and programme management. 

Also appointed was Chijioke Chuku as general counsel and head of Energy, a seasoned lawyer with over 20 years of experience in policy and law. Hauwa Haliru-Hassan was elevated to director of Gender Affairs and CEO of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum.

Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina was appointed senior security adviser, with three decades of experience in security and conflict resolution.

(NAN)