President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of former minister Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down for health-related reasons.
The nomination was announced in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, titled: “President Tinubu Nominates General Christopher Musa as the New Minister of Defence.”
According to the statement, the nomination was conveyed in a letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
General Musa, who will turn 58 on December 25, previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He is a highly decorated officer and recipient of the 2012 Colin Powell Award for Soldiering.
President Tinubu expressed full confidence in Musa’s capacity to strengthen Nigeria’s defence operations and enhance the country’s security architecture amid rising security challenges.
Brief Profile of General Musa
General Musa was born in Sokoto in 1967 and completed his primary and secondary education in the state. He proceeded to the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria before enrolling in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in 1986. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant the same year.
Over the years, he has held several strategic positions, including:
- General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations, HQ 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations) at the Infantry Centre and Corps, Commander of Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole, and later Commander of Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai. He later commanded the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
Musa’s nomination comes shortly after President Tinubu declared a national security emergency, directing the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to begin large-scale recruitment and redeployment of personnel.
The President also approved the immediate deployment of trained forest guards and authorised the DSS to recruit additional officers to secure forested areas, stating that terrorists and bandits will have “no more hiding places.”
Tinubu further commended security agencies for the rescue of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State, reaffirming his commitment to securing the release of remaining abductees, including the students still held in Niger State.
He urged the Armed Forces to remain committed, disciplined, and uncompromising in restoring peace across all operational zones, assuring them of full government support to achieve national security goals.
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