Tinubu Nominates Immediate Past CDS As Defence Minister
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.
The nomination was formally transmitted to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Monday, following the resignation of former Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
General Musa, who turned 58 on December 25, previously served as CDS from 2023 until October 2025. A career military officer, he is a recipient of the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and immediately gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon commissioning in 1991.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Musa rose through the ranks with key command and staff appointments, including; General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, HQ 81 DivisionTraining Team Member, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
He also served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Infantry Corps Headquarters in 2019, and later commanded Sector 3 of both Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.
In 2021, Musa became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai before his subsequent appointment as Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. President Tinubu appointed him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
In his communication to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence that General Musa would strengthen the nation’s defence architecture and bring his vast operational experience to bear on Nigeria’s security challenges.
