Breaking: President Tinubu Appoints Ex-CDS Christopher Musa As Nigeria’s New Defence Minister

President Bola Tinubu has nominated retired Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This was announced on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.

According to the statement, Tinubu communicated General Musa’s nomination to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter, following the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday.

The statement highlighted General Musa’s distinguished military career: “General Musa, 58, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025 and was awarded the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012. Born in Sokoto in 1967, he completed his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and joined 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 numerous key positions, including General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements in the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

“In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region. He was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021, later becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before being named Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.”

The letter to the Senate expressed the President’s confidence in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and enhance Nigeria’s security framework.