General Christopher Musa, nominated by President Bola Tinubu to replace Abubakar Badaru as Nigeria’s new Minister of Defence, is widely recognized as one of the country’s most experienced and accomplished infantry commanders.
Born in Sokoto in 1967, Musa pursued his early education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria.
He enrolled in the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in 1986, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree and earning his commission as a Second Lieutenant that same year.
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General Musa will turn 58 on December 25th.
Military Career Highlights
Musa’s military service spans over three decades and includes a broad range of command, training, and operational roles across the Nigerian Army:
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Early Roles: He served as General Staff Officer 1, Training and Operations, at Headquarters 81 Division, and was later the Commanding Officer of 73 Battalion. He also worked as Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, at the Army Policy and Plans Department and represented the Infantry Corps on the Nigerian Army Armour Corps Training Team.
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Command Roles: In 2019, he became Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Training and Operations at the Infantry Centre and Corps.
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Strategic Leadership: He subsequently served as Commander of the Nigerian Army Infantry Corps before his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 2023, a position he held until October 2025.
Counterinsurgency and Operational Prominence
General Musa’s operational reputation significantly grew through his command positions in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency campaigns:
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He commanded Sector 3 of Operation Lafiya Dole and later headed Sector 3 of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the Lake Chad Basin.
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In 2021, he was appointed Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s principal counterterrorism operation in the Northeast.
Musa’s service has garnered several accolades, including the prestigious Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.
He is regarded as a strategic thinker with deep field experience, qualities that are expected to serve him well in his new role leading the Defence Ministry.
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