The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has appointed Dr Abdulateef Shittu as its new Director-General as part of sweeping reforms aimed at overhauling its secretariat and aligning operations with international best practices.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Yunusa Abdullahi, who was also named Director of Media and Strategic Communications for the Forum.
According to Abdullahi, the appointments followed a comprehensive review conducted by Deloitte, engaged to restructure NGF processes and strengthen its role as a subnational policy hub. He added that the changes were not just administrative but signalled a deliberate shift towards building a more agile and results-driven institution.
Other key appointments include Mr Edmund Nnaji, a seasoned legal practitioner, as Executive Director, Finance and Administration; Prof Dauda Yinusa, a former Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, as Executive Director, Policy, Strategy and Research; and Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab, an expert in health systems reform, as Executive Director, Programmes and Partnerships.
The Forum also named Chijioke Chuku, a seasoned lawyer with more than 20 years of policy and legal expertise, as General Counsel and Head of Energy.
Mrs Hauwa Haliru-Hassan was promoted to Director of Gender Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, while Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina, who brings three decades of experience in security and conflict resolution, was appointed Senior Security Adviser.
In addition, Abdullahi himself will serve as Director of Media and Strategic Communications.
He noted that the appointments underscore the Forum’s commitment to building a multidisciplinary leadership team capable of addressing Nigeria’s most pressing governance challenges, including economic transformation, security, and human capital development.
