President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.
The nomination was conveyed in a formal letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who read the communication during Tuesday’s plenary session. President Tinubu described the former defence chief as a seasoned military leader whose expertise is needed to strengthen Nigeria’s overstretched security architecture.
Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is one of the country’s most experienced counter-insurgency commanders. He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until his retirement in October 2025, overseeing joint military operations across all theatres of conflict.
His return to the national security frame comes at a time when Nigeria is facing intensifying security challenges, including renewed insurgency in the North-East, widespread banditry in the North-West, mass kidnappings, rural terror attacks, and the expanding footprint of armed criminal networks.
The choice of General Musa is also seen as a strategic response to growing international concern, particularly from the United States and other global partners, over Nigeria’s ability to curb escalating violence and protect civilians. Diplomatic pressures on Abuja have mounted in recent months amid repeated mass abductions and deteriorating conditions in conflict zones.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa attended primary and secondary school in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, Musa rose through the ranks with a trail of key operational and administrative postings. Notable among them are:
General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion, Assistant Director of Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans, Infantry Representative, Nigerian Army Armour Corps Training Team
He was Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Infantry Corps Headquarters (2019), Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin, Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai (2021), Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry Corps and Chief of Defence Staff (2023–2025)
He is also a recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering (2012), a recognition of outstanding professional conduct, leadership and service.
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu stated that he is confident General Musa will bring “unmatched operational experience, discipline and strategic perspective” to the Ministry of Defence as Nigeria intensifies efforts to restore national stability.
The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the nomination in a statement on Tuesday.
If confirmed by the Senate, General Musa will assume office at one of the most challenging periods for Nigeria’s defence establishment, with expectations high that his experience will refocus military operations and strengthen inter-agency coordination in the fight against insecurity.
