President Bola Tinubu has nominated the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination to succeed Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the position on Monday.
General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and is a recipient of the 2012 Colin Powell Award for Soldiering.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1991, Musa has had a distinguished military career. His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he 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.
In 2021, Musa was appointed Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, before later serving as Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. He was subsequently appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
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