Tinubu Nominates General Christopher Musa as Defence Minister, Sends Name to Senate
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
The President formally communicated the nomination to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter delivered on Tuesday, urging the Senate to confirm General Musa as the next helmsman of the Defence Ministry.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a highly decorated officer and one of the nation’s most experienced commanders. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to 2025 and received the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed 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, after which he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
His career spans key operational and strategic roles, including General Staff Officer 1 (Training/Operations) at HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, and Assistant Director of Operational Requirements at Army Headquarters.
He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps, Commander of Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole, and later Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
In 2021, Musa was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai and subsequently served as Commander of the Infantry Corps before his elevation to Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In the nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s defence apparatus and lead ongoing security reforms.
The Senate is expected to begin screening procedures in the coming days.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)
December 2, 2025
