By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
It was not a routine send-forth. It was an emotional roll call of service, sacrifice and loyalty as the National Population Commission (NPC) on Tuesday turned its headquarters into a theatre of tributes for Mrs. Samiat Olabimpe Lawal, former Director of Public Affairs, while simultaneously unveiling the human face of its new helmsman.
Freshly appointed NPC Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, barely weeks into office, stole the moment with a deeply personal, unscripted and hard-hitting address that signalled the tone of his leadership empathetic, people-centred and unapologetically loyal to institutional memory.
“I fast-tracked my return to Nigeria because I could not afford to miss this,” Yusuf declared, visibly moved. “I would have been worried for the rest of my life if I missed this occasion because of this woman.”
Dr. Yusuf recounted how Mrs. Lawal, even before meeting him physically, worried over delays in his swearing-in, constantly calling, praying and preparing handover programmes ahead of Federal Executive Council meetings.
“She had not even met me, but she was praying for me,” he said. “That told me who she is.”
Describing her as “retired but not tired,” Yusuf pledged that Lawal’s exit from public service would not mark the end of her relevance.
“I will use my position wherever I find myself to place you where your value will continue to serve this country,” he vowed.
The Chairman went further, announcing a policy direction rarely heard in Nigeria’s public service: retired NPC directors would continue to be engaged.
“You cannot work for this commission and just disappear,” he said. “We will still patronise your knowledge.”
Yusuf used the occasion to reaffirm his seven-point agenda, revealing that it has received endorsement not only from NPC commissioners, directors and staff unions, but also from international partners, including the United Nations.
“I came here to serve,” he said. “And I assure you, I will be transparent. I will make you proud.”
Goodwill messages also poured in from across the commission.
The Director of Planning and Research, described Lawal as a woman of integrity and quiet strength.
“She talks very little,” he said, “but when she speaks, she speaks with integrity. She is diligent, resilient and fearless.”
He wished her “a future better than her years of service.”
In a rare, powerful intervention, the Director of Procurement, insisted on speaking on behalf of women directors.
“She is simple, unassuming,” she said, “yet her voice is louder in silence than those who shout.”
She added pointedly: “Not everyone becomes a DG or Permanent Secretary. That does not mean you are not among the best.”
Perhaps the most intimate tribute came from a longtime friend who traced their bond back to 1977.
“Our religions never came between us,” she said. “During Ramadan, she followed me home for Christmas. My family cooked special meals for her.”
She described Lawal as “one of the most devoted women of God” she has ever known.
Emotion peaked when Lawal’s daughter spoke.
“To hear my mother validated at her place of work means everything,” she said. “You are the epitome of a good mother.”
Speaking on behalf of the NPC Press Corps, the Chairman , Comrade Joshua praised Lawal’s ideas and vision but issued a blunt appeal to the new Chairman.
“The Public Affairs Department needs support,” he said. “It has ideas but lacks resources. The kitchen of the house must not be empty.”
In a formal citation, Mrs. Aisha chronicled Lawal’s 35-year career from her early days in 1991 through national censuses, demographic surveys and crisis deployments across multiple states.
She retired on January 9, 2026, leaving behind what speakers repeatedly described as “a legacy of excellence, integrity and humanity.”
Beyond the tears and applause, Tuesday’s ceremony doubled as a statement of intent.
With his first major public outing, Dr. Aminu Yusuf signalled a leadership era that values people as much as policy and a commission determined not to discard experience at the altar of bureaucracy.
For Mrs. Samiat Lawal, it was a farewell.
For the NPC, it was a reset.
