President Bola Tinubu has forwarded the name of former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, to the Senate for confirmation as Nigeria’s next Minister of Defence.
The nomination was announced on Tuesday in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
In a formal letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu said he was confident that Musa’s long military career and familiarity with Nigeria’s security challenges would enable him to strengthen the country’s defence institutions and bolster ongoing security operations nationwide.
The nomination comes less than 24 hours after Mohammed Badaru Abubakar stepped down from the position of defence minister, a resignation that surprised many within government circles.
General Musa, who will clock 58 on December 25, previously served as Chief of Defence Staff between 2023 and October 2025.
He was relieved of the post during a security sector shake-up earlier this year. However, speculation about his return to government intensified on Monday after he was spotted entering the Presidential Villa for a private meeting with the President, shortly before Badaru’s resignation was announced.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his early education in the northwestern state before moving to the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria.
He completed his studies there in 1986 and immediately gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.
That same year, he was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant, beginning a military career that would see him hold several strategic positions.
His past postings include General Staff Officer in charge of Training and Operations at the 81 Division headquarters, Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion, and Assistant Director of Operational Requirements at the Department of Army Policy and Plans.
He also served as Infantry Representative on the Training Team of the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
Musa’s operational experience deepened during the fight against insurgency in the North-East. In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps before assuming command of Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole.
He later served as commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force operating around the Lake Chad Basin.
In 2021, he rose to become Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the Nigerian military’s major offensive against terrorist groups in the North-East.
From there, he went on to lead the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps, a position he held until his elevation to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
With his nomination now before the Senate, lawmakers are expected to begin the confirmation process in the coming days.
If approved, General Musa will be tasked with overseeing Nigeria’s defence ministry at a time when the country faces persistent security threats ranging from terrorism and banditry to oil theft and communal violence.
