By OUR REPORTER
President Bola Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence, following Monday’s sudden resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
In a press release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
General Musa, 58, is a distinguished soldier who 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, graduating in 1986.
He enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
Commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, General Musa has held numerous key appointments, including General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer of 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements at the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member of the Training Team at 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, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region. By 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai and later became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before assuming the role of Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
General Musa’s nomination underscored the President’s confidence in his extensive military experience and leadership capacity to guide Nigeria’s defence sector at a critical time for national security.