President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
The nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday in a letter from the President, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
Announcing the development in a State House statement, Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s capacity to “further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and leadership within the Defence Ministry.”
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced operational commanders. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025, and is a recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering (2012).
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria, graduating in 1986. That same year, he enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, his career includes an array of strategic and operational deployments:
- General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, HQ 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative and Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
In 2019, he served as:
- Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Infantry Centre and Corps
- Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole
- Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force (Lake Chad Region)
He was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021, later becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, before his elevation to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
Onanuga noted that the President believes General Musa’s “depth of experience, leadership record, and operational competence” make him eminently suited for the Defence portfolio.
“President Tinubu has full confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture,” Onanuga stated.
The nomination now awaits Senate screening and confirmation.
