President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu announced the appointment of General Musa as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the position on Monday.
General Musa, 58, who was born on December 25, 1967, is a distinguished military officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025.
He is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering (2012).
Born in Sokoto, General Musa attended primary and secondary schools in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria.
He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, Musa has held several key positions in the Nigerian Army, 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 and Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps Headquarters, and as Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
In 2021, Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, and later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being elevated to Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
