A file image of the Nigeria’s governors Forum (NGF)

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has appointed Dr. Abdulateef Shittu as its new Director-General, in what it described as part of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening its secretariat and aligning operations with international best practices.

The appointments were contained in a statement on Sunday by Yunusa Abdullahi, who was also named the Forum’s Director of Media and Strategic Communications.

According to Abdullahi, the changes followed a comprehensive review conducted by Deloitte, which was engaged to re-engineer NGF processes and reinforce its mandate as a subnational policy hub.

“These appointments are not merely administrative but mark a deliberate shift towards building a more agile and results-driven institution,” he stated.

Other appointments include Mr. Edmund Nnaji, a corporate law expert, as Executive Director, Finance and Administration; Prof. Dauda Yinusa, former Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, as Executive Director, Policy, Strategy and Research; and Dr. Ahmad Abdulwahab, a health systems reform specialist, as Executive Director, Programmes and Partnerships.

Also joining the team are Chijioke Chuku, appointed General Counsel and Head of Energy; Mrs. Hauwa Haliru-Hassan, named Director, Gender Affairs and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum; and Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina, who assumes the role of Senior Security Adviser with over three decades of experience in security and conflict resolution.

Abdullahi stressed that the NGF is building a multidisciplinary leadership structure to address Nigeria’s most pressing challenges, including economic transformation, security, and human capital development.