President Tinubu appoints Dalhatu, Okla, others amidst recent resignations

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Dalhatu Abubakar as chairman of the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), along with six members of the governing board of the federal government agency.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday, April 2, 2026, by the presidency via its X handle @NGRPresident.

The Presidency said the appointment will take immediate effect.

“The appointments are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s commodity trading ecosystem, enhance price discovery, improve market transparency, and drive the expansion of non-oil exports.”

According to the statement, the appointment is part of efforts by President Tinubu’s administration to strengthen Nigeria’s commodity trading ecosystem and drive non-oil export growth.

READ ALSO: List of Tinubu’s appointees who resigned ahead of the 2027 elections

The newly approved board members include:

• Najah Muhammed (non-executive director)

• Bamidele Hussein (non-executive director)

• Mezuo Nwuneli (non-executive director)

• Obi Igwe (non-executive director)

• Foluso Ayo-Olaiya (non-executive director)

• Anthony Atuche (managing director)

The presidency said the reconstituted NCX board is expected to provide the strategic oversight required to fully operationalise the exchange.

The new NCX board is also expected to attract investment into key areas such as warehousing, logistics, and trade infrastructure.

The new head of the NCX is also the head of Al-Hamsad Integrated Rice Mills, as well as the president of the Conference of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA).

The president's office also mentioned that Abubakr, who is originally from Kano State, used to be the president of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA).

“The reconstitution of the NCX board will provide the strategic oversight required to fully operationalise the exchange, strengthen accountability, and attract investment into warehousing, logistics, and trade infrastructure.”

Remember, President Tinubu appointed Professor Shu’aibu Aliyu to be the new head of PTDF. He replaces Ahmed Galadima Aminu, who recently resigned to participate in the 2027 governorship election in Adamawa State.

Engineer Sule Ahmed Abdulaziz is staying on as the head of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

President Tinubu stressed his dedication to moving Nigeria's energy sector forward and addressing national priorities.

Tinubu also approved the appointment of Patience Okala as the new national coordinator of Nigeria's African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Coordination Office.

According to a statement from the presidency, the appointment of Okala takes immediate effect.

The statement from the office of the presidency explained that the new appointee is a seasoned trade and investment expert, with experience cutting across covering international negotiations and economic policy.

Before taking on her current role, Okala served as a director at the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). In that position, she spearheaded Nigeria's involvement in talks and agreements about bilateral investments across various forums, including well-known bodies like ICSID, UNCITRAL, AfCFTA, UNCTAD, IISD, and the OECD.

She also contributed her expertise earlier as an adviser to the AfCDTA secretariat in Accra (2023) and as a special adviser to the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. During that time, she was instrumental in bolstering Nigeria's AfCFTA framework, including overseeing the AfCFTA Central Coordination Committee and helping Nigeria become a Co-Champion of the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade.

In her new position, Okala will focus on ensuring the AfCFTA Agreement is put into practice locally, shaping Nigeria’s strategic approach within the continental trade landscape, and bringing together national stakeholders involved in the trade and investment arena.