Tinubu Nominates Ex-CDS Gen. Christopher Musa as New Defence Minister
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
The nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter transmitted on Tuesday from the State House, Abuja.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished Military Officers. He previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he won in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his Primary and Secondary Education in the State before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. After graduating in 1986, he entered the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon commissioning in 1991.
His Military career spans over three decades of strategic command, training, and operational leadership. He began his service as a Second Lieutenant and rose through key appointments, including:
- General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, HQ 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
In 2019, Musa served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
By 2021, he became Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai Nigeria’s major counterterrorism mission. He later assumed command of the Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
President Tinubu, in his letter to the Senate, emphasized confidence in General Musa’s capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and sustain ongoing defence reforms.
General Musa’s nomination now awaits Senate screening and confirmation.
