President Bola Tinubu has appointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi, immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), as chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS).
The appointment, which takes effect from 22 October 2026, is for an initial four-year term, according to a statement issued by Lilian Omo-Odigwe, the institute’s director of coordination and liaison.
The statement said President Tinubu approved the appointment on the recommendation of the incumbent DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.
“The Commander-In-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, GCFR has approved the appointment of Y. M. Bichi, CFR, fwc, the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Lower Usuma Dam, Abuja,” the statement reads.
Bichi succeeds A.A. Gadzama as chairman of the board. His appointment is in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
The former intelligence chief handed over leadership of the DSS to Ajayi in August 2024, following his tenure at the helm of Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency.
Bichi began his public service career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office before his transfer of service in 1984.
The institute said his appointment would bring extensive experience in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training to its governing board.
“Bichi’s appointment to Chair the NISS Board brings an extensive experience in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training to the governance of the National Institute,” the statement added.
The NISS, located at Lower Usuma Dam in Abuja, provides professional security education and training for personnel and stakeholders in Nigeria’s security sector.
Bichi’s appointment returns him to a national security leadership role more than two years after he left the DSS.
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