President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence, replacing Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.
The Independent Mirror reports that the announcement was contained in a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy.
In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.
General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a distinguished military officer who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025.
He received the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.
Commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, General Musa rose through the ranks with an exemplary career. His notable appointments include:
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
Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps (2019), Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole
Commander, Sector 3, Multinational Joint Task Force, Lake Chad Region Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai (2021) Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry Corps Chief of Defence Staff (appointed in 2023)
In his letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.
