President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar earlier this week.
The nomination was confirmed in a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
In the letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Badaru Abubakar and expressed confidence in his leadership, stating, “I am confident in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.”
General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and is a recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, he completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He later enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant the same year, General Musa has held several key positions including Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, General Staff Officer 1 at HQ 81 Division, and Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He also led Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
The President’s statement emphasized that General Musa’s wealth of experience and leadership qualities would be pivotal in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges and advancing the nation’s defence priorities.
