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

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the institute’s Director of Coordination and Liaison, Lilian Omo-Odigwe, and shared on the DSS’ official X handle.

According to the statement, Bichi’s appointment was approved by President Tinubu following a recommendation by the current DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.

His appointment takes effect from October 22, 2026, for an initial four-year term, in accordance with Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.

Bichi will succeed A.A. Gadzama as chairman of the institute’s governing board.

The statement noted that Bichi handed over leadership of the DSS to Ajayi in August 2024 after serving as the agency’s Director-General.

It added that his appointment would bring extensive experience in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training to the governance of the National Institute for Security Studies.

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