President Bola Tinubu has formally nominated retired General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, announced the nomination in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to the statement, President Tinubu communicated General Musa’s nomination to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter, just one day after Badaru stepped down citing health reasons.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, brings extensive military experience to the position, having served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until his retirement in October 2025.
The statement highlighted his distinguished military career, noting that he received the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
“General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012,” the statement read.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria, graduating in 1986. He enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year and earned a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, General Musa rose through the ranks, holding several critical command and staff positions throughout his career.
“His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps,” the Presidency stated.
The nominee gained significant operational experience in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency efforts. In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps, and later as Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, as well as Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.
In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Nigeria’s principal counter-terrorism operation in the Northeast. He subsequently served as Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before President Tinubu elevated him to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s capabilities and his potential contribution to Nigeria’s security framework.
“In the 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,” the statement noted.
The nomination comes at a critical time for Nigeria’s security sector, as the country grapples with multiple threats including terrorism in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest, separatist agitation in the Southeast, and kidnapping across various regions.
General Musa’s appointment, if confirmed by the Senate, would make him the first retired Chief of Defence Staff to serve as Defence Minister in recent years, bringing direct operational knowledge and military leadership experience to the civilian oversight role.
