President Bola Tinubu has nominated the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to serve as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
In a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu formally presented Musa as the replacement for Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.
General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025 and is a recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, which he received in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary schooling in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon completing his training in 1991.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has built a notable career over the decades. His roles include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements in the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member of the Training Team at HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, Musa took on the roles of Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
By 2021, he had been appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He later assumed command of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed full confidence in General Musa’s capability to oversee the Ministry of Defence and advance efforts to enhance Nigeria’s security framework.
What you should know
General Christopher Musa has spent more than three decades in military service, holding frontline command roles and leading major counterterrorism operations.
His nomination as Minister of Defence signals continuity in Nigeria’s security strategy, reflecting President Tinubu’s confidence in Musa’s experience, leadership record, and ability to stabilise and strengthen national defence systems.
