Tinubu Appoints New Minister
President Bola Tinubu has appointed former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the new Minister of Defence.
The move follows the resignation of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who left the position on Monday on health grounds.
In the letter addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the president presented General Musa as his choice to take over the ministry.
The retired Chief of Defence Staff is well known in military circles and is 58 years old.
General Musa was born in Sokoto in 1967 and completed both his primary and secondary education there.
He later moved to the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria before gaining admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1986.
He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant that same year.
Since then, he has served in many roles across the Army.
His past duties include working as General Staff Officer 1 in Training and Operations at Headquarters 81 Division, leading the 73 Battalion as Commanding Officer, and serving as Assistant Director of Operational Requirements in the Department of Army Policy and Plans.
He was also a member of the Training Team at the Nigerian Army Armour Corps.
In 2019, he took charge of Sector 3 under Operation Lafiya Dole and later commanded the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad area.
By 2021, he became Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai before moving on to lead the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps.
President Tinubu appointed him Chief of Defence Staff in 2023, a position he held until October 2025.
His work earned him recognition, including the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
In the message sent to the Senate, President Tinubu said that General Musa has the ability and strength needed to guide the Ministry of Defence and support ongoing efforts to improve national security.
