The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf Wushishi, has died at the age of 66.
Wushishi died in Abuja on Friday, August 28, 2026, after a brief illness, the National Population Commission confirmed in a statement signed by the Director of its Public Affairs Department, Mrs. Adelayo Serifat Olurode.
Born on April 15, 1960, in Wushishi, Niger State, the late NPC chairman was sworn in as the eighth substantive chairman of the Commission by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on December 3, 2025.
During his tenure, Wushishi provided what the Commission described as visionary leadership and championed a seven-point agenda aimed at repositioning the NPC.
The Commission described him as a dedicated patriot, astute administrator and compassionate leader whose commitment to national development and the generation of reliable demographic data remained unwavering.
Before his appointment as NPC chairman, Wushishi had built a distinguished career spanning education, governance, grassroots politics and community development.
He previously served as Executive Chairman of Wushishi Local Government Area, Member-elect of the Niger State House of Assembly, 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.
Until his appointment to the NPC, he was National President of the Niger State College of Education Alumni Association, Minna, and Co-Chairman of the Senator Abubakar Sani Bello Skill Acquisition and Development Committee.
Reacting to the death, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed profound shock and sadness, describing Wushishi as a close associate and committed public servant.
Idris said the late NPC chairman’s death was a painful loss to the National Population Commission, the public service and the entire country.
“I received with deep sadness the heartbreaking news of the passing of Dr Aminu Yusuf Wushishi. His death is a painful loss to the National Population Commission, the public service and the entire nation,” the minister said.
The minister noted that Wushishi had set out with a clear vision to deliver a credible and technology-driven Population and Housing Census that would provide reliable data for national planning.
“His plans and commitment to delivering a credible and technology-driven census showed his deep sense of responsibility and his determination to leave a lasting contribution to Nigeria’s development,” Idris said.
The minister commiserated with the Government and people of Niger State, the people of Wushishi, and the deceased’s family, colleagues, friends and staff of the NPC.
The Commission similarly extended its condolences to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government, the Government and people of Niger State and the entire Yusuf family.
Wushishi was also a holder of the revered traditional title of Talban Wushishi, a title by which he was widely known.
Both the minister and the Commission prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive his shortcomings, grant him Al-Jannah Firdaus and give his family, friends, associates and colleagues the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
