Tinubu Nominates Former CDS, Gen. Christopher Musa, as New Defence Minister

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 communicated to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter submitted to the National Assembly on Monday, following the resignation of the immediate past minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.

General Musa, aged 58, is a highly respected senior military officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he received in 2012 in recognition of his outstanding professionalism and leadership.

Born in Sokoto State in 1967, Musa completed his early education within the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria, where he graduated in 1986. He thereafter gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1991.

Over the course of his career, General Musa has held several critical command and staff appointments in the Nigerian Army. His roles include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director of Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at Nigerian Army Armour Corps Headquarters.

His operational experience is extensive. In 2019, Musa served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps Headquarters, and later as Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, as well as Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.

In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, leading counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast. He subsequently became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his elevation to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023 by President Tinubu.

In his communication to the Senate, President Tinubu emphasized his confidence in General Musa’s capability, noting that his experience and leadership would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.

The Senate is expected to screen and confirm the nomination in the coming days.