President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence. The nomination follows the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu described General Musa as an accomplished and highly experienced military officer capable of strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. His distinguished career, recognised with honours such as the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012, has positioned him as one of the nation’s top military figures.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and subsequently enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant that same year, Musa rose steadily through the ranks with notable postings, including:
- General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, Headquarters 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative, Training Team, Nigerian Army Armour Corps
From 2019, his leadership responsibilities widened as he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps. He later commanded Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole and led Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s premier counterterrorism mission in the Northeast. He subsequently headed the Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
In his correspondence to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed firm confidence in General Musa’s ability to provide strategic direction at the Ministry of Defence and bolster ongoing national security efforts.
