By Deborah Nnamdi
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Musa as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, following the resignation of former Defence Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who stepped down citing health reasons.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled “President Tinubu Nominates General Christopher Musa as the New Minister of Defence.”
According to Onanuga, the nomination was formally conveyed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio in a letter seeking legislative confirmation. Tinubu expressed confidence in Musa’s ability to lead the ministry and strengthen the country’s security architecture amid heightened security challenges.
Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a former Chief of Defence Staff, serving from 2023 until October 2025. He is a highly decorated officer and recipient of the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa completed his primary and secondary education in the state before attending the College of Advanced Studies, Zaria. He entered the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991, the same year he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.
Musa has held key command and staff positions across the Nigerian Army, including General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements at the Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative on the Nigerian Army Armour Corps training team.
His operational experience includes serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander of Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole; and 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 and later served as Commander of the Infantry Corps before becoming Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
Musa’s nomination comes just days after President Tinubu declared a national security emergency, directing the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to intensify recruitment and deploy more personnel nationwide.
Tinubu also ordered the DSS to deploy trained forest guards and recruit additional operatives, saying there must be “no hiding place for agents of evil.” He applauded security agencies for the recent rescue of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi and worshippers in Kwara State, while assuring that efforts are ongoing to free remaining hostages in Niger State and other locations.
The President further urged the Armed Forces to remain steadfast, disciplined, and uncompromising in restoring peace across all theatres of operation, promising full government support to ensure success.
