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President Bola Tinubu has appointed the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS).
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The appointment, recommended by incumbent DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, takes effect from October 22, 2026, for an initial four-year term.
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Bichi succeeds A.A. Gadzama and returns to a strategic security role more than two years after handing over leadership of the DSS in August 2024.
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NISS says the former DSS chief brings decades of experience in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training to the institute.
October 23, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has appointed the immediate past Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Magaji Bichi, as Chairman of the Governing Board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), more than two years after he left the leadership of the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
Bichi’s appointment is for an initial four-year term, effective Thursday, October 22, 2026. He succeeds A.A. Gadzama as Chairman of the Governing Board.
The Director of Coordination and Liaison at NISS, Lilian Omo-Odigwe, announced the appointment in a statement on Thursday, saying it followed a recommendation by the incumbent Director-General of the DSS, 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.
According to NISS, the President approved the appointment in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.
“Bichi’s appointment was approved by President Tinubu based on the recommendation of the current DG-DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi. His appointment is for an initial four-year term, effective 22nd October, 2026, in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019”, the statement added.
Bichi, who succeeds Gadzama on the Governing Board, left office as DSS Director-General in August 2024, when he handed over leadership of the intelligence agency to Ajayi.
NISS said the former DSS chief’s appointment would bring his extensive experience in intelligence and security administration to the governance of 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.
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Background
Bichi is a career intelligence officer who began his security career in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office before transferring his service in 1984.
He subsequently rose through the intelligence establishment and served in several capacities before becoming Director-General of the DSS.
Bichi was appointed DSS Director-General in September 2018 and remained in office until August 2024, spanning the administrations of former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Tinubu.
His departure came on August 26, 2024, when Tinubu approved the appointment of Ajayi as the new DSS Director-General.
The latest appointment, therefore, brings Bichi into another senior position within Nigeria’s security architecture, this time overseeing the Governing Board of NISS.
The National Institute for Security Studies, located at Lower Usuma Dam in Abuja, is a strategic institution established to undertake advanced studies and develop senior-level personnel in security, intelligence and related areas of national interest.
Under the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019, the institute provides a platform for research, training and policy development aimed at strengthening national security management and strategic leadership.
Bichi will serve an initial four-year term as Governing Board Chairman from October 22, 2026.
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