President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Retd), former Chief of Defence Staff, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
The nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter from the President. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the development in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
In his letter, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s capacity to steer the Ministry of Defence and reinforce the nation’s security architecture. The President’s choice comes just days after Mohammed Badaru Abubakar resigned from the position.
General Musa—who turns 58 on December 25—served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025, when President Tinubu relieved him of the role. He was spotted at the Presidential Villa on Monday, December 1, where he held a private meeting with the President only hours before Badaru’s resignation was made public.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education locally before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and proceeded to the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, Musa has enjoyed a distinguished and decorated career. His past appointments include General Staff Officer 1 for Training and Operations at Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion; Assistant Director of Operational Requirements at the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps Headquarters.
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
By 2021, Musa had risen to serve as Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He later commanded the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
General Musa’s elevation to Defence Minister marks yet another significant chapter in a career defined by leadership, operational excellence, and service to the nation.
