The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf, has died at the age of 66, barely eight months after he was sworn in as the eighth substantive chairman of the commission.
Yusuf, also known as Talban Wushishi, died in Abuja on Friday, after a brief illness, according to a statement issued by the Commission.
The statement, signed by Mrs. Adelayo Serifat Olurode, Director, Public Affairs Department, National Population Commission, said the commission received the news of Yusuf’s death with ‘profound sadness and a heavy heart.’
Yusuf was appointed by President Bola Tinubu and sworn in as NPC chairman on December 3, 2025.
His death came less than nine months into his tenure at the commission, where he had embarked on a seven-point agenda aimed at repositioning the organisation and strengthening its capacity to provide reliable demographic data for national planning.
The NPC described the late chairman as a dedicated patriot, astute administrator and compassionate leader whose commitment to national development remained unwavering.
According to the statement, Yusuf brought to the commission decades of experience in education, governance, grassroots politics and community development.
Born on April 15, 1960, in Wushishi, Niger State, the late chairman held several public positions before his appointment to head the population commission.
He served as Executive Chairman of Wushishi Local Government Area and was also a Member-elect of the Niger State House of Assembly.
He was at various times a board member of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Governor of Niger State.
Before his appointment as NPC chairman, Yusuf was the National President of the Niger State College of Education Alumni Association, Minna.
He also served as Co-Chairman of the Senator Abubakar Sani Bello Skill Acquisition and Development Committee.
Olurode, in the statement, said the commission had lost a leader who was deeply committed to the development of Nigeria and the production of credible demographic statistics required for effective planning and policy formulation.
‘The Commission has lost a dedicated patriot, an astute administrator, and a compassionate leader whose commitment to national development and the generation of reliable demographic data was unwavering,’ the statement said.
The NPC extended condolences to President Tinubu, the Federal Government, the government and people of Niger State, and members of the Yusuf family.
The commission also prayed for the repose of the deceased and for divine strength for his family, friends, associates and colleagues to bear the loss.
‘We pray Almighty Allah forgives his shortcomings, grants him Al-Jannah Firdaus, and gives his family, friends, and associates the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss,’ Olurode said.
Yusuf assumed leadership of the NPC at a critical period when the commission was expected to deepen efforts towards strengthening Nigeria’s population and demographic data systems.
The commission plays a key role in providing population statistics needed by government at all levels for development planning, resource allocation, policy formulation and other national programmes.
His appointment in December 2025 had therefore placed him at the centre of efforts to reposition the commission and improve the quality and reliability of demographic information available to the country.
Under his leadership, the seven-point agenda was presented as a framework for repositioning the commission and advancing its mandate.
His sudden death, barely eight months into the assignment, has now cut short his tenure and brought mourning to the commission, Niger State and the wider public service community.