President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence.

The nomination was conveyed in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, announcing Musa as the replacement for Alhaji Mohammed Badaru, who resigned on Monday due to health challenges.

In the letter, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Defence Ministry and strengthen the country’s security architecture. The appointment was also confirmed in a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, General Musa, who turns 58 on December 25, is a highly decorated officer who previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 to October 2025. He received 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 graduated in 1986 and later enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1991.

Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1991, Musa has held several key appointments, including General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer of the 73 Battalion; and Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Army Policy and Plans.

He also served as Infantry Representative on the Training Team at the Army Armour Corps Headquarters. In 2019, he was Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander of Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin.

In 2021, Musa was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai before later becoming Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps. He was appointed Chief of Defence Staff in 2023 by President Tinubu.