Nigerian Governors’ Forum Appoints Dr Abdulateef Shittu as New Director-General in Major Secretariat Reform

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The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has appointed Dr Abdulateef Shittu as its new Director-General, in a sweeping set of leadership changes aimed at reforming its secretariat and aligning operations with international best practices.

The announcement was made on Sunday in a statement signed by Yunusa Abdullahi, who was also appointed as Director of Media and Strategic Communications for the Forum.

Deloitte-Led Review

According to Abdullahi, the appointments followed a comprehensive review by Deloitte, commissioned to re-engineer NGF processes and strengthen its role as a subnational policy hub.

He noted that the restructuring was “not merely administrative but a deliberate shift towards a more agile and results-driven institution.”

New Executive Appointments

The Forum unveiled a multidisciplinary leadership team across policy, administration, security, and social development:

• Mr Edmund Nnaji – Executive Director, Finance and Administration; a legal practitioner with extensive corporate law experience.

• Prof Dauda Yinusa – Executive Director, Policy, Strategy and Research; a former Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget, and Development.

• Dr Ahmad Abdulwahab – Executive Director, Programmes and Partnerships; an expert in health systems reform and programme management.

• Chijioke Chuku – General Counsel and Head of Energy; a seasoned lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in policy and law.

• Mrs Hauwa Haliru-Hassan – Director, Gender Affairs and CEO, Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum.

• Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina – Senior Security Adviser; bringing three decades of experience in security and conflict resolution.

• Yunusa Abdullahi – Director of Media and Strategic Communications.

Strengthening Governance at Subnational Level

Abdullahi stressed that the appointments reflect NGF’s commitment to building a multidisciplinary leadership team capable of addressing Nigeria’s pressing governance challenges, including economic transformation, human capital development, and national security.

The leadership shake-up marks one of the most significant reforms in the NGF secretariat in recent years, positioning it as a stronger player in Nigeria’s policy and governance landscape.