President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
The nomination was conveyed to the Senate on Tuesday through a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio. Details of the communication were later disclosed in a statement by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
General Musa is to replace Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the Federal Executive Council on Monday due to health concerns.
Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, is widely considered one of the country’s most accomplished infantry commanders. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and received the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa had his early education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree, receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant the same year.
Over a military career spanning more than three decades, Musa held several operational and strategic command roles across the Nigerian Army. His previous appointments include:
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General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, Headquarters 81 Division
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Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
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Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans
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Infantry Representative, Training Team, Nigerian Army Armour Corps
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Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations), Infantry Centre and Corps (2019)
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Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole
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Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Lake Chad Basin
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Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai (2021)
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Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry Corps
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Chief of Defence Staff (2023–2025)
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu said General Musa’s extensive operational background and leadership credentials make him “eminently qualified” to lead the Defence Ministry, especially as Nigeria intensifies efforts to strengthen its security architecture.
The Senate is expected to begin screening the nominee in the coming days.
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