Population Commission Chairman Aminu Yusuf Dies Eight Months after Assuming Office

Dr Aminu Yusuf Talban Wushishi, Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), has died about eight months after he assumed office.

Yusuf reportedly died on Friday, August 28, 2026, after a brief illness.  News of his death reached Minna, Niger State, around the time of the Jumaat prayer.

Former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State, Barrister Tanko Benji, confirmed his death.

“Aminu is dead. I am saddened and not in a good mood now,” Benji told Blueprint.ng while confirming the development.

Sources close to the family and a senior presidential source also confirmed the death, although the circumstances surrounding it were not immediately disclosed.

At the time of filing this report, neither the NPC nor the deceased’s family had issued an official statement on his death or announced burial arrangements.

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Yusuf was appointed by President Bola Tinubu and sworn in as NPC chairman in December 2025 alongside two other members of the commission, Dr Joseph Haruna Kigbu and Tonga Betara Bulatafa.

His death comes less than a year into his tenure, during which he was involved in efforts to modernise Nigeria’s population management and civil registration systems.

One of the major developments recorded under his leadership was the nationwide rollout of VitalReg, the digital birth and death registration platform under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system.

The NPC said the platform became fully operational across the country on July 1, 2026, as part of efforts to improve access to civil registration and strengthen the country’s demographic data system.

Yusuf remained active in the commission’s programmes until his death. In January 2026, he led senior NPC officials to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, where he sought the support of traditional institutions in promoting population awareness and civil registration.

Born on April 15, 1960, in Wushishi, Niger State, Yusuf had a career spanning public service, education, grassroots mobilisation, politics and community development.

He attended LEA Primary School, Zungeru, and Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Ogun State, before becoming involved in political and community activities.

Between 2019 and 2023, he served as Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the Niger State governor.

He was also involved in the 2022 Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign as Assistant Director, Grassroots Mobilisation (North Central), of the Presidential Campaign Council.

Before his appointment to the NPC, Yusuf was the National President of the Niger State College of Education Alumni Association, Minna.

He was also involved in skills acquisition and empowerment programmes targeting women and youths in Niger North Senatorial District.

As chairman of the NPC, Yusuf was responsible for leading an institution that provides population and demographic data used for national planning, policymaking and development programmes.

His sudden death is expected to create a leadership transition at the commission as the government and relevant authorities make arrangements for his replacement.