President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down for health reasons.
The nomination was announced in a statement issued 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 Onanuga, the nomination was formally conveyed in a letter sent to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
“General Musa, 58, born on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025,” the statement said. “He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.”
In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in Musa’s capacity to lead the Defence Ministry and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture amid ongoing national security challenges.
Background of General Musa
Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa attended primary and secondary schools in the state before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon his commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in 1991.
Throughout his military career, General Musa has held several key command and staff positions. These include:
- General Staff Officer I, Training and Operations, HQ 81 Division
- Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
- Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans
- Infantry Representative and Training Team Member, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps
In 2019, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff, Training and Operations, at the Infantry Centre and Corps, and later served as Commander of Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole and the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region.
He became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai in 2021 and subsequently Commander of the Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff by President Tinubu in 2023.
Security Context
Musa’s nomination comes shortly after President Tinubu declared a national security emergency, directing the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force, and Department of State Services (DSS) to expand recruitment efforts to tackle the nation’s rising insecurity.
The President emphasized the redeployment of officers withdrawn from VIP duties for accelerated retraining and deployment to frontline areas.
“The DSS also has my authority to immediately deploy all the forest guards already trained to flush out terrorists and bandits hiding in our forests,” Tinubu stated, adding that recruitment of additional personnel would strengthen internal security operations.
He praised the Armed Forces and security agencies for their collaboration in securing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State and 38 worshippers in Kwara State.
“We will continue to sustain efforts to rescue the remaining students of the Catholic school in Niger State and other Nigerians still held hostage,” Tinubu affirmed.
The President further urged the military to uphold professionalism, discipline, and integrity in ongoing operations across the country, assuring full government support to ensure peace and security are restored nationwide.
