Tinubu announces two new appointments

President Bola Tinubu has approved two key appointments into top national positions.

He named Barrister Ismael Ahmed as Executive Chairman of the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative (PCNGi), and Grace Morenike Henry as Chairman of the National Council of the Nigerian Legion.

Ahmed, 45, is tasked with coordinating the PCNGi, a major initiative of the Tinubu administration aimed at easing the burden of fuel subsidy removal by promoting cheaper and cleaner energy options.

The initiative is part of the government’s broader palliative programme to cushion the economic impact on citizens.

A law graduate of the University of Abuja, he was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2006 and later earned a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy from Webster University, Missouri, USA.

Ahmed previously served as Senior Special Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the National Social Investment Programme from 2018 to 2022.

In a separate appointment, Tinubu named Grace Morenike Henry as the new Chairman of the National Council of the Nigerian Legion, making her the first woman and the first non-commissioned officer to head the nation’s leading veterans’ body.

Her appointment took effect from June 7, 2025.

Henry, who retired from the Nigerian Army in 2000 after over 25 years of service, previously served as the Legion’s Director of Corporate Affairs and also as the National Coordinator for Female Military Veterans of Nigeria.

She succeeds retired Major-General AbdulMalik Jibrin.

With her extensive military and administrative experience, Henry is expected to lead efforts to improve the welfare of ex-service personnel and their families, as well as drive the organisation’s efforts in rehabilitation and national unity initiatives.