By George Ozalla
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the nomination of General Christopher Gwabin Musa to the Senate for confirmation as the new Minister of Defence. The development was conveyed in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, according to a press statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The nomination follows the resignation of Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar on Monday. General Musa, who will turn fifty eight on December twenty five, is one of the most seasoned officers of his generation and previously 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, he completed his education in the state before moving to the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon completion in 1991. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since held several critical command and staff roles across the Army.
His career path includes service as General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations at Headquarters 81 Division; Commanding Officer of 73 Battalion; Assistant Director for Operational Requirements at the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Training Team at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps. He later served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Training and Operations at Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps in 2019.
General Musa commanded Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and subsequently Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad region. In 2021 he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai before becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. President Tinubu appointed him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
In his letter to the Senate, the President expressed strong confidence in General Musa’s capacity to lead the Ministry of Defence and drive ongoing reforms aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s security framework.
General Christopher Gwabin Musa has spent more than three decades in military service, rising through operational and strategic postings that shaped his reputation as a disciplined officer with deep experience in counterinsurgency, joint operations and defence management.
