Vice Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu (born 10 March 1965) is a Ghanaian military officer currently serving as the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the

Ghana Navy The Ghana Navy (GN) is the naval warfare organizational military branch of the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghanaian Armed Forces (GAF). The Ghanaian Navy, along with the Ghana Army, Ghanaian Army (GA) and Ghana Air Force, Ghanaian Air Force (GHF), make up ...

. He assumed the position on 5 February 2021, following his appointment by the President of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. Vice Admiral Yakubu was confirmed as the 18th Chief of the Naval Staff by the President on 4 March 2021.

Early life and education

Yakubu was born on 10 March 1965 in

Tamale A tamale, in Spanish language, Spanish , is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of ''masa'', a dough made from nixtamalization, nixtamalized maize, corn, which is steaming, steamed in a corn husk or Banana leaf, banana leaves. The wrapping ...

, in the Northern Region of

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. He completed his Ordinary Level and Advanced Level Certificates at the Tamale Secondary School (now Tamale Senior High School) in 1984 and 1986, respectively. In 1987, he enlisted in the

Ghana Armed Forces The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the state military organisation of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is the president of Ghana, who is also the supreme military ...

and underwent training at the Ghana Military Academy as part of Regular Career Course Intake 29. He was commissioned into the

as an

Executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...

in 1991. Yakubu furthered his education with various courses and programs both in

and abroad. He completed the International Midshipmen and International Sub-Lieutenants Courses at the

Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, also known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...

, Dartmouth, and the School of Maritime Operations,

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, in the United Kingdom. In 1996, he attended the Junior Staff Course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) in Nigeria. He later completed his Senior Command and Staff Course at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, where he emerged as the best Naval student. He also attended courses at the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, US, the Coast Guard Training Centre in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, USA, and the Resilience Centre of Cranefield University, UK. Yakubu holds a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from

Salve Regina University Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...

in the United States and a Post-graduate Diploma in Public Administration from the

Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is a public co-educational university spread over four campuses (Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi) and made up of six schools, ten research centers located at Greenhill in Accra ...

Military career

After his commissioning into the

in 1991, Yakubu held various appointments throughout his career. He served as an Administrative Officer at the Naval Base

Sekondi Sekondi-Takoradi ( ) is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan District and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city as well as ...

and as a Watch-Keeping Officer on board Ghana Navy Ships (GNSs) ACHIMOTA and YOGAGA. He also served as the Executive Officer on GNS SEBO. During this period, he participated in the military intervention in

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

and

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

as part of the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG). He later served as the Officer-in-Charge of the Communications School at the Basic and Leadership Training School at the Naval Base in

Tema Tema is a city on the Bight of Benin and Atlantic coast of Ghana. It is located east of the capital city; Accra, in the region of Greater Accra, and is the capital of the Tema Metropolitan District. As of 2013, Tema is the eleventh most p ...

and as the Officer-in-Charge of Naval Cadet Training at the Regional maritime academy. In 2001, he became the first Executive Officer of GNS ANZONE and sailed the ship on its maiden voyage from

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

, USA, to

. He also served as a Military Observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) and as the Commanding Officer of GNS ANZONE. Yakubu held instructional positions as a Directing Staff at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in Accra and at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) in Nigeria. He also served as the Chief Instructor of the Naval Faculty at GAFCSC. In 2011, he commanded the ex-German Navy warship, which was later renamed GNS YAA ASANTEWAA, and sailed it on its maiden voyage from Germany to Ghana. Yakubu has also held several staff appointments at the Naval Headquarters, including Director of Naval Administration and Acting Chief Staff Officer. In May 2017, he was promoted to the substantive rank of Commodore and appointed as the Chief Staff Officer. He later served as Ghana's Defence Attaché to London, UK, before assuming the position of Chief of Staff at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces.

Achievements and honours

Throughout his career, Yakubu has received numerous awards and honours. He has been recognized for his exceptional performance and professionalism on various international courses and peacekeeping operations. Notably, he was awarded the Rear Admiral Joseph C. Strasser International Leadership Prize during his attendance at the

, US. He has also been honoured with medals for his participation in peace operations such as the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) in Liberia and the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

Personal life

Yakubu is married and has children. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, swimming, and playing golf.

Publications

Yakubu is an avid researcher and has authored numerous papers on maritime security and strategy. He is also a co-author and co-editor of the official history of the

, titled ''History of the Ghana Navy: A Case for a Credible Naval Force for National Development.''

References