Tinubu Appoints Former DSS Director-General Bichi as NISS Governing Board Chairman

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Yusuf Magaji Bichi, the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies.

The appointment, announced in a statement on Thursday by the Director of Coordination and Liaison at NISS, Lilian Omo-Odigwe, is for an initial four-year term effective October 22, 2026.

The statement said Tinubu approved the appointment based on the recommendation of the current 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 read.

The appointment is in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019. Bichi succeeds A.A. Gadzama on the governing board.

Bichi handed over leadership of the DSS to the incumbent Director-General in August 2024.

He began his career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office before his transfer of service in 1984.

The NISS statement noted that Bichi’s appointment brings extensive experience to the institute.

“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,” Omo-Odigwe said.