Tinubu Appoints Dalhatu Abubakar Commodity Exchange Boss

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dalhatu Abubakar as chairman of the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), alongside members of its governing board.

The appointment, which takes immediate effect according to a statement by the presidency on X, on Thursday, is part of the federal government’s effort to strengthen Nigeria’s commodity trading ecosystem and drive non-oil export growth.

The presidency stated that the reconstitution of the NCX board is aligned with the administration’s renewed hope agenda, which prioritises food security, market efficiency, and export expansion.

“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,” the statement said.

Abubakar, who is a businessman from Kano state, is the chairman of Al-Hamsad Integrated Rice Mills and president of the Conference of Northern States Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (CONSCCIMA).

The statement also noted that he previously served as president of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA), and is widely recognised for his contributions to agribusiness development and enterprise mentorship in northern Nigeria.

According to the statement, the newly approved board members include Najah Muhammed from Jigawa State to serve as non-executive director, Bamidele Hussein from Lagos State will serve as non-executive director, Mezuo Nwuneli from Anambra State will also serve as non-executive director.

Others are Obi Igwe from Imo State to serve as non-executive director, Foluso Ayo-Olaiya from Oyo State also non-executive director, and Anthony Atuche from Delta State to serve as managing Director.

The presidency also noted that the reconstituted board is expected to provide the strategic oversight required to fully operationalise the exchange and attract investment into key areas such as warehousing, logistics, and trade infrastructure.

“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,” the statement said.

It further stated that the NCX remains a key institutional mechanism for achieving the administration’s food security and export diversification goals through structured commodity markets and increased private sector participation.

“Through structured commodity markets and increased private sector participation, the NCX will play a critical role in formalising commodity trade, improving traceability, stabilising markets, and positioning Nigeria more competitively within regional and global value chains,” it stated.

This appointment adds to two other appoints the president has approved in less than 24hours.

Tinubu had on Wednesday reappointed Professor Idris Muhammad Bugaje as the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for a second and final term of five years.

Earlier, he appointed Professor Shu’aibu Shehu Aliyu as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), to replace Galadima Aminu, who recently resigned to participate in the 2027 governorship election in Adamawa State.

He also renewed Engineer Sule Abdulaziz’s appointment as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) for a second and final term.