President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi as Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for a fresh five-year term, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to strengthening the nation’s security institutions.
The renewal, which took effect on Friday, February 27, followed the expiration of Dr. Audi’s initial tenure. He is expected to formally resume duties on Monday with what the Presidency described as a renewed mandate to reposition the Corps in line with evolving security realities.
Dr. Audi was first appointed Commandant-General in 2021 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. His first term ended last Friday after he participated in activities marking the 2026 World Civil Defence Day at the NSCDC National Headquarters in Abuja.
In approving the extension, President Tinubu charged the NSCDC boss to reposition the service to play a more strategic role within Nigeria’s internal security framework. The directive comes at a time when other security agencies, particularly the police, are being urged to refocus on their core mandate of protecting citizens from banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism.
The President emphasized the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration and tasked the Corps under Dr Audi’s leadership to intensify efforts in protecting critical national assets, enhancing intelligence gathering, and deepening community-based security interventions.
Born on September 30, 1967, in Laminga Town, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Dr. Audi brings nearly three decades of experience within the Corps to his renewed tenure.
He began his academic journey at Teachers’ College, Jengre, Plateau State, where he obtained a Teachers’ Grade II Certificate in 1987. He later earned a Nigerian Certificate in Education from the College of Education, Akwanga, in 1992, before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education from Ahmadu Bello University in 1995.
Dr. Audi went on to secure a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Calabar in 2001. In 2014, he earned a PhD in Public Administration from Nasarawa State University, and later completed a Master’s in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice at Ahmadu Bello University in 2019.
He joined the NSCDC in November 1996 as a volunteer and, after completing his basic officer training in 1997, was deployed as a Divisional Officer in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Over the years, he served in various state commands before his promotion to the rank of Commandant in 2007 and subsequent deployment to the office of the Commandant-General at the National Headquarters in Abuja.
