The National Population Commission (NPC) has been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of its Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, who passed away on Friday, August 28, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 66 years old.
​Dr. Yusuf’s death comes barely eight months after he assumed office on December 3, 2025, following his appointment by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
​The NPC confirmed the development in an official press statement released on Friday afternoon from its headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the agency, Mrs. Adelayo Serifat Olurode, Director of the Public Affairs Department at the NPC, expressed deep grief over the loss.
​”The Commission received the news of Dr. Yusuf’s passing with profound sadness and a heavy heart,” Olurode stated. “We have 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.”
​Confirming the news independently to journalists in Minna, the Niger State capital, Dr. Yusuf’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Stanley Nwosu, stated: “Yes, it is true. The NPC chairman died after a brief illness.”
​Condolences were also offered by Ambassador Ibrahim Umar Kontagora, Digital Rector of Niger State Polytechnic, Zungeru, who described the passing as a “painful loss to the Kontagora Emirate, Niger State, and Nigeria as a whole.”
​Also known by his traditional title Talban Wushishi, Dr. Yusuf was born on April 15, 1960, in Wushishi, Niger State.
He was sworn in as the 8th substantive Chairman of the NPC in late 2025. Upon taking office, he rolled out an ambitious seven-point agenda aimed at modernizing Nigeria’s demographic framework and repositioning the commission to deliver credible population data essential for national economic planning.
​Prior to leading the NPC, Dr. Yusuf compiled decades of public service experience, including:- An Executive Chairman, Wushishi Local Government Area, A Special Adviser on Political Affairs to former Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello (2019–2023).
He later became a Board Member, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Member-Elect, Niger State House of Assembly.
​The NPC extended its formal condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government of Nigeria, the government and citizens of Niger State, and the bereaved Yusuf family. Funeral details and Islamic burial arrangements in accordance with his family’s traditions will be announced in due course.
