National
Tinubu Appoints Ex-Military Chief Musa as Nigeria’s Defence Minister
By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the former Chief of Defence Staff, to serve as Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar earlier this week.
The nomination was formally transmitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter delivered on Tuesday, in which President Tinubu urged the Senate to confirm the retired general, citing his “distinguished record of service” and “proven leadership in complex security environments.”
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. A career infantry officer, he is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most experienced military commanders. In 2012, he received the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering, an honour recognizing professionalism and excellence in military service.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his early education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He entered the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree upon commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in 1991.
Over more than three decades in uniform, Musa held several command and staff positions, including General Staff Officer 1 for Training and Operations at the 81 Division Headquarters; Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion; and Assistant Director for Operational Requirements at Army Headquarters. He also served as an infantry representative on the Training Team at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
His operational career includes key leadership roles in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaigns. In 2019, he was appointed Commander of Sector 3 in Operation Lafiya Dole and later led Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin. In 2021, Musa became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, overseeing major military operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). He subsequently served as Commander of the Infantry Corps before his elevation to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
President Tinubu, in his letter to the Senate, expressed confidence that General Musa’s appointment would “further strengthen Nigeria’s defence posture and accelerate ongoing reforms in the security sector.”
The nomination now awaits Senate screening and confirmation.
