President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
His nomination was transmitted to the Senate on Tuesday in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The President’s communication with the Senate was made public in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
General Musa is set to replace Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned from the cabinet on Monday on health grounds.
Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced infantry commanders.
He served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and was the recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa received his early education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria.
He enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree, earning a commission as Second Lieutenant the same year.
Over a career spanning more than three decades, Musa held several operational and command appointments across the Nigerian Army.
His previous roles include General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
He served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps in 2019; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and later Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin.
In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s flagship counterterrorism operation in the Northeast.
He subsequently became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being appointed CDS in 2023 by President Tinubu.
In his communication to the Senate, President Tinubu said General Musa’s extensive operational experience and leadership record make him eminently qualified to steer the Defence Ministry at a time Nigeria is intensifying efforts to upgrade its security architecture.
The Senate is expected to commence screening of the nominee in the coming days.
