President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the name of General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, to the Nigerian Senate for confirmation as the country’s new Minister of Defence.
The nomination, contained in an official letter read on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, comes barely 24 hours after the resignation of the former Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
A Distinguished Military Career
General Christopher Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accomplished senior officers of his generation.
Born in 1967 in Sokoto State, Musa began his academic journey in his home state, completing primary and secondary education before proceeding to the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria, where he obtained his Advanced Level certificate in 1986.
That same year he gained admission into the prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree and commissioning as a Second Lieutenant in the Nigerian Army in 1991.
His career progression has been marked by a series of high-impact command and staff appointments across the Army, Joint Task Forces, and multinational operations.
Key milestones include:
– General Staff Officer Grade 1 (Training and Operations), Headquarters 81 Division
– Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion
– Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans
– Infantry Representative and member of the Training Team, Headquarters Nigerian Army Armour Corps
– Deputy Chief of Staff (Training/Operations), Headquarters Infantry Corps (2019)
– Commander, Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE (North-East counter-insurgency)
– Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force (Lake Chad Basin)
– Theatre Commander, Operation HADIN KAI (2021–2023)
– Commander, Nigerian Army Infantry Corps
– Chief of Defence Staff (June 2023 – October 2025)
In 2012, General Musa was honoured with the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Outstanding Soldiering during his participation in a U.S. Army course, underscoring his international recognition for professionalism and leadership.
President’s Confidence in Musa’s Leadership
In the nomination letter, President Tinubu expressed full confidence in General Musa’s wealth of experience, strategic vision, and proven track record in combating insecurity.
“The nominee has demonstrated exceptional capacity in coordinating joint military operations and strengthening inter-service synergy,” the President wrote, adding that General Musa is “eminently qualified to provide the strategic leadership required to further consolidate gains in our national security architecture.”
Next Steps in the Confirmation Process
The Senate has referred the nomination to its Committee on Defence for accelerated screening.
Committee Chairman and Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, confirmed that public hearing and interactions with the nominee will be scheduled within the coming days to allow the upper chamber meet the constitutional requirement of confirming or rejecting the nomination.