President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence. In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination to succeed Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, 58, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He was awarded the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012 in recognition of his exemplary service. Born in Sokoto in 1967, he completed his primary and secondary education locally before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, General Musa has held several key appointments, including 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. He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps, Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole, and Commander of Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.

In 2021, General Musa was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, later becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023. In his 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.