President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed a substantive Director-General (DG) for the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
He is Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, a retired career Foreign Service officer, who until his appointment served as Senior Special Assistant to the President (SSAP) on Foreign Affairs/International Relations.
A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Abubakar had extensive experience working with the United Nations in peace support operations, mediation process, preventive diplomacy and good offices, as well as promoting good governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights.
Adesina said he also briefly served as Senior Adviser at the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), with headquarters in Ndjamena, Chad, before his appointment as SSAP.
“Abubakar holds a B.A degree in French Language and Literature and an M.A. degree in Francophone Maghrebian Literature, both from Bayero University, Kano. He is fluent in English and Arabic.”
The appointment, the statement said, takes immediate effect.