President Bola Tinubu has put forward the name of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, for confirmation as Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence.
The nomination, announced on Tuesday, was conveyed in a formal letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed the development in an official statement.
In the letter, President Tinubu expressed strong confidence in Musa’s capacity to oversee the Defence Ministry and enhance the country’s security framework.
The President’s decision comes shortly after the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who previously held the defence portfolio.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025, when he was relieved of the position.
A day before Badaru’s resignation, Musa was spotted at the Presidential Villa, where he held a private meeting with the President.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, the retired military officer completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria.
He later joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree and receiving his commission as a Second Lieutenant the same year.
Over the course of his distinguished career in the Nigerian Army, Musa held several key appointments, including: General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, HQ 81 Division, Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion, Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans and Infantry Representative, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps in 2019, and later commanded Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole as well as the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
In 2021, Musa was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai.
He subsequently became Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
