ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Yusuf Magaji Bichi, 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 appointment, which was approved by President Tinubu following the recommendation of current DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, takes effect from Thursday, October 22, 2026, for an initial four-year term.
The development was confirmed in an official statement released in Abuja by the Director of Coordination and Liaison at NISS, Lilian Omo-Odigwe, issued in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
Bichi succeeds former intelligence chief A.A. Gadzama on the institute’s governing board.
The former DSS head handed over leadership of the secret police to the incumbent Director-General in August 2024 after completing his tenure at the helm of the agency. Bichi began his career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office before transferring his service in 1984, acquiring decades of experience in intelligence, security administration, and operational leadership.
The NISS stated that Bichi’s appointment is expected to strengthen institutional training, policy research, and capacity-building frameworks across Nigeria’s security architecture.
