Tinubu nominates former CDS, Gen. Christopher Musa, as Minister of Defence
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 transmitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter delivered to the National Assembly on Tuesday. General Musa is set to replace Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the cabinet on Monday.
According to the correspondence, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s capacity to reposition the ministry and reinforce the nation’s security framework.
A Distinguished Military Career
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a decorated senior officer with more than three decades of service in the Nigerian Army.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, he completed both his primary and secondary education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree and receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant.
Over the years, General Musa has held several strategic military appointments, including:
- General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, HQ 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
He also played key operational roles in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaigns. In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Corps Headquarters, Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, and Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
In 2021, he became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s primary operation against Boko Haram and ISWAP. He later assumed command of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before President Tinubu appointed him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023, a position he held until October 2025.
General Musa is also a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering (2012), an honour recognizing excellence in military leadership.
Presidency Confident in Musa’s Capability
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu described General Musa as a seasoned professional whose expertise and leadership experience will be instrumental in strengthening Nigeria’s defence architecture.
The nomination awaits screening and confirmation by the Senate.
