PRESIDENT TINUBU RETURNS TO NIGERIA AFTER ABU DHABI TRIP……

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has returned to Nigeria after participating in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW2026) alongside key ministers. According to a statement by his Special Adviser, Bayo Onanuga, Nigeria signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the United Arab Emirates to deepen economic cooperation. The deal targets increased trade, investment, technology transfer, and collaboration in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, mining, and renewables. Tinubu also announced a Nigeria–UAE INVESTOPIA in Lagos this February and said Nigeria plans to mobilise up to $30bn yearly for climate and green industrial finance.
#fintternews

Why Is Tinubu Budgeting Another ₦7bn for Aso Rock Solar While Nigerians Face Blackouts? After ₦10bn in 2025, Is the Presidency Prioritising Itself Over the National Power Crisis?

Amid worsening electricity shortages across Nigeria, the Bola Tinubu-led federal government has allocated another ₦7 billion in the 2026 budget for the solarisation of the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, raising fresh questions about priorities, equity, and governance. The new allocation—listed by the Budget Office of the Federation under State House expenditures as “provision of solarisation of Villa with solar mini grid”—comes just a year after ₦10 billion was set aside for the same project in 2025.

The decision has reignited public debate because it contrasts sharply with the everyday reality of millions of Nigerians who continue to endure persistent blackouts, business disruptions, and rising energy costs. Critics argue that while the Presidency secures reliable power through a premium solar project, households and small enterprises remain at the mercy of an unstable national grid.

In April 2025, when the initial ₦10 billion allocation triggered public outrage, the Presidency defended the project as a long-term investment in sustainability and energy efficiency. Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the move follows “global standards,” citing the White House’s use of solar power and insisting the administration was not “reinventing the wheel” but adopting a tested model for powering critical institutions. Supporters of the project also frame it as a smart hedge against grid failures and a step toward cleaner energy.

Yet the timing has kept the controversy alive. The latest budget increase coincides with a series of national grid collapses that have plunged much of the country into darkness. According to data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO), one major disturbance saw total power generation crash from 2,052.37MW to just 139.92MW within one hour, leaving only three of the country’s 11 distribution companies able to take any load. At different points, major DisCos—including Eko, Ikeja, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt and Yola—recorded zero allocation, underscoring the fragility of the system.

Independent monitoring confirmed that even hours after such collapses, national supply remained severely constrained, with total available power far below what is needed to sustain homes, hospitals, businesses, and critical services. Similar incidents in March and September 2025 followed earlier government celebrations of rising generation, only for output to plunge again below sustainable levels.

Against this backdrop, many Nigerians question whether investing billions to guarantee uninterrupted electricity for the seat of power—while the wider grid remains unreliable—signals a two-tier energy policy. Some see the solar project as an admission that government itself no longer trusts the national power system it oversees. Others argue that the Presidency’s energy security should not come at a time when ordinary citizens face daily outages, rising fuel costs for generators, and an economy already under strain.

The debate now centres on urgent questions: Is the Tinubu administration protecting Aso Rock while the country stays in the dark? Should scarce public funds be channelled first into stabilising the national grid rather than insulating the Presidency? And does repeated spending—₦17 billion across two years—reflect forward-looking sustainability or misplaced priorities in the middle of a power crisis? As Nigeria’s electricity infrastructure continues to falter, the Aso Rock solar budget has become a powerful symbol in a wider argument about leadership, accountability, and who truly benefits from government policy.

PRESIDENT TINUBU APPOINTS FIRST FEMALE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF NIGERIAN LAW SCHOOL

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote as the director-general of the Nigerian Law School. The appointment takes effect on January 10, 2026, for a four-year term.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy indicates that Dr Odusote, 57, is currently the Deputy Director-General and Head of the Lagos Campus and will become the first woman to lead the institution since its establishment in 1962.

She will succeed the current Director-General, Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, whose tenure expires on January 9, 2026, after eight years of service.

Titilayo Odusote obtained her LL.B. degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988. She holds an LL.M from the same university, specialising in company and commercial law. She later obtained a PhD in Law from the University of Surrey, in the United Kingdom, with research interests in Public Law and the administration of justice.

She joined the law school in 2001 as a lecturer. Since then, she has served in various capacities, including as head of the academic department, director of academics, and head of campus.

During her career at the law school, she was a visiting scholar at Nottingham Trent University in the UK for a short time.

Odusote has published extensively in reputable local and international law journals and has presented papers at numerous legal education conferences. She also served on committees of the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Bar Association.

As Director-General, Odusote will be responsible for the institution’s overall academic leadership, administrative management, and strategic direction across all campuses. She will also serve as the primary liaison between the school, the Council of Legal Education, the Body of Benchers, and the Nigerian Bar Association.

Tinubu Appoints Dr Olugbemisola Odusote as First Female Director-General of Nigerian Law School, Marking Historic Leadership Change Since 1962

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Dr Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote as the new Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, making her the first woman to head the institution since its establishment in 1962. The appointment, announced by Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, takes effect from January 10, 2026, for a four-year term. Odusote, 54, succeeds Professor Isa Hayatu Chiroma, whose tenure ends on January 9, 2026.
Currently serving as Deputy Director-General and Head of the Lagos Campus, Odusote holds an LL.B. and LL.M. from Obafemi Awolowo University and a PhD in Law from the University of Surrey, UK. A long-standing academic at the Law School since 2001, she has held several leadership roles, published widely, and served on key legal bodies including the Council of Legal Education and the Nigerian Bar Association. As Director-General, she will oversee academic leadership, administration, and strategic direction across all campuses, while liaising with major legal institutions nationwide.

PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES BOARD MEMBERS FOR NMDPRA, NUPRC, SEEKS SENATE CONFIRMATION

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has written two letters to the Senate, seeking confirmation of 21 nominees for the boards of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, indicates that in the first letter, President Tinubu nominated Senator Magnus Abe to serve as the NUPRC board chair. Abe, who represented Rivers South East in the Senate for two terms, is a former NNPC board member and current chairman of the National Agency of the Great Green Wall.

Other nominees for the NUPRC board are Engineer Paul Yaro Jezhi, a former Trade Union Congress chairman in Kaduna, and Mr Sunday Adebayo Babalola, a former deputy director of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which was abolished by the PIA in 2021. Both men will serve as non-executive commissioners.

President Tinubu also nominated executive commissioners to the board.

They are: Muhammed Sabo Lamido, executive commissioner for finance; Mr Edu Inyang, executive commissioner for Exploration and Acreage; Justin Ezeala, executive commissioner for economic regulation and strategic planning; and Henry Darlington Oki, executive commissioner for Development and Production. Others are Indabawa Bashari Alka, executive commissioner for corporate services and administration; Mahmood Tijani, executive commissioner for health, safety and environment; and Ms Olayemi Adeboyejo, as secretary and legal adviser.

Former President Buhari appointed Lamido and Adeboyejo in 2022, while President Tinubu appointed Alka in 2023. Inyang, Ezeala, the former managing director of Nigerian Gas Marketing Limited, Mahmood Tijani, Babalola and Jezhi are new appointees of President Tinubu.

In his second letter to the Senate, President Tinubu nominated Mr Adegbite Ebiowei Adeniji, a lawyer, as chairman of the NMDPRA board. Adeniji has over 30 years of experience in energy and natural resources issues. He was a special technical adviser to the Minister of State for Petroleum on upstream and gas until 2018. He was a member of the Oil & Gas Policy team at the World Bank, which advised the Government of Nigeria on the reform and restructuring of the petroleum sector, including the development of the Strategic Gas Plan for Nigeria. He is currently the managing partner at ENR Advisory.

President Tinubu also nominated Chief Kenneth Kobani and Mrs Asabe Ahmed as non-executive members. Kobani was a former minister of state for trade under President Jonathan and secretary to the government of Rivers State, under Nyesom Wike.

Also nominated for confirmation are Abiodun Adeniji, executive director of finance; Francis Ogaree, executive director of hydrocarbon; Oluwole Adama, executive director of midstream and Downstream gas infrastructure; and Dr Mustapha Lamorde, executive director of Corporate Services and Administration. President Tinubu appointed Adama in 2024, while late President Buhari appointed Lamorde and Adeniji in 2021 and Ogaree in 2022

Other members of the NMDPRA board, as proposed by President Tinubu, are Mr Yahaya Nasamu Yinusa, executive director, distribution systems; Adeyemi Murtala Aminu, executive director, corporate services; Ms Modie Ogechukwu, executive director, economic regulation and strategic planning; and Barrister Olawale Dawodu, as board secretary and legal adviser. Dawodu is an industry player and was, at a time, the Financial Reporting Manager at Exxon Nigerian subsidiaries.

The President urged the Senate to approve the nominees expeditiously.

The requests followed the recent appointment of chief executive officers for the two regulatory agencies. The Senate confirmed Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Engineer Saidu Aliyu Mohammed as CEO of NMDPRA.

Mr President has charged all the appointees and nominees to discharge their duties and responsibilities professionally as regulators of the oil and gas sectors.

Presidency Sparks Controversy After Sharing AI-Watermarked Image of Tinubu–Kagame Paris Meeting

Nigeria’s presidency faced public backlash after sharing a photograph on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, purportedly showing a private meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris. Observers noticed that the image bore a “Grok” watermark, indicating it was created or altered using Elon Musk’s AI tool, Grok.

The official post claimed the meeting took place on January 4, 2026, to discuss “world affairs and advancing Africa,” confirmed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Despite this, the watermark’s presence has raised questions about the photo’s authenticity and whether an original, unedited version exists.

The incident has reignited concerns about digital manipulation, transparency, and the use of AI in official government communications, particularly as public trust in state institutions remains fragile. As of now, the presidency has not provided clarification regarding the AI-generated image.

Tinubu Orders Military, Police, DSS to Hunt Kasuwan Daji Terrorists, Rescue Abducted Women and Children in Niger State

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security agencies, including the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS), to intensify operations to track down and apprehend the terrorists behind the deadly attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Niger State. The directive was issued on Sunday and conveyed in a statement signed on January 4, 2026, by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The President ordered the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the DSS Director-General to urgently locate the attackers and rescue all abducted victims, particularly women and children. The Kasuwan Daji attack, which occurred amid a surge in terrorist activities in Niger State, led to the killing of villagers and mass abductions.

According to the presidency, the assailants are suspected to be fleeing from Sokoto and Zamfara states following a U.S. airstrike carried out on Christmas Eve. President Tinubu condemned the killings, described the attack as a test of Nigeria’s resolve, and vowed that the perpetrators and anyone aiding them would be hunted down and brought to justice.

He also extended condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Niger State, while assuring that security operations would be strengthened around vulnerable communities, especially those near forest areas used as criminal hideouts. The President urged Nigerians to remain united and avoid divisive rhetoric, stressing that collective resolve is crucial to defeating terrorism and restoring peace to affected communities.

Tinubu Presidency Labels Peter Obi ‘Bitter, Failed Governor’ and ‘Copycat’

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media to President Bola Tinubu, criticized former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi following his defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Onanuga described Obi as bitter over the 2023 election and accused him of relying on foreign examples for national development.

He questioned Obi’s leadership record as Governor of Anambra State and claimed that Nigeria requires original solutions rather than copying models from other countries. Onanuga contrasted Obi’s approach with Tinubu’s administration, highlighting economic reforms, infrastructure projects, and tax system improvements achieved in under three years.

He further predicted that Obi will play a minor role in future elections, likely becoming Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in 2027, similar to the 2019 election.

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

President Tinubu, in telephone conversation with AJ, the mother, after tragic accident

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke by phone today with Anthony Joshua, the Nigerian-British former heavyweight boxing champion, following the tragic accident in Ogun State in which Joshua was injured and lost two of his associates.

"I spoke with AJ on the phone to personally convey my condolences over the death of his two associates. I wished him well and prayed for him. He assured me that he is receiving the best care in the hospital.

"I also spoke with AJ's mother and prayed for her. She was very appreciative of my call.

"Additionally, I spoke to Governor Dapo Abiodun, who was in the hospital with them. The Governor assured me that he will do everything possible to ensure AJ receives the best possible attention."

Earlier, in a statement on X, President Tinubu—who is currently abroad—expressed profound sympathy for the boxer over the accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

"I sympathise with you and your family as you bear the emotional weight of this unfortunate incident. As a sportsman, you have always shown courage, discipline, and unwavering love for our country. These are qualities that have made you a source of national pride.

"In moments like this, we must encourage one another as brothers and sisters with a shared destiny.

"I pray for strength, wisdom, and grace for you during this painful period. May God grant you a speedy recovery and repose to the souls of the departed."

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
(Information and Strategy)
December 29, 2025

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Lagos for Europe, according to the Presidency.

The disclosure was made on Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He said the President is proceeding to Europe to continue his end-of-year break, ahead of an official engagement in the Middle East.

From Europe, President Tinubu will travel to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, following an invitation from the UAE President, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Nigerian leader is expected to participate in the 2026 edition of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, scheduled to hold in early January.

The summit is a global platform focused on sustainability, climate action, and economic development.

#Tinubu #NigeriaPolitics #Presidency #ADSW2026

President Tinubu Departs Lagos for Europe Ahead of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026 Summit

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Lagos on Sunday for a European trip, the destination of which has been officially withheld. According to his Special Adviser on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the trip continues the President’s end-of-year break and precedes his official visit to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Tinubu has been invited by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan to attend the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit, scheduled for early January. The summit aims to bring together leaders from government, business, and society to promote sustainable development under the theme “The Nexus of Next: All Systems Go.” Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria after the weeklong event.

But the Nigerian government partnered with America on airstrikes in Sokoto - Media personality calls out President Tinubu’s media aide Bayo Onanuga months after he said Peter Obi will not be forgiven for welcoming US President Donald Trump’s help in fighting insecurity in Nigeria

CHIEF OF STAFF GBAJABIAMILA NOT REPLACED BY MURI-OKUNOLA

The Presidency has dismissed reports that the Chief of Staff to the President has been replaced.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency described as false and misleading claims circulating on social media that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had replaced his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, with his Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola.

There is absolutely no truth to this story. We advise Nigerians to disregard it entirely.

The Chief of Staff remains in his position. The Principal Private Secretary likewise remains in his role. Hakeem Muri-Okunola has not replaced Femi Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff.

The viral claim is a fabrication by mischievous purveyors of fake news whose sole aim is to create disharmony within the government.

We reiterate that news media should always verify their information before publishing or sharing on social media.

PRESIDENT TINUBU RECONSTITUTES THE BOARD OF THE NIGERIAN ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the Board of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), following the Senate's confirmation of its members on December 16.

A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, states that Members of the reconstituted Board are:

• Mulisiu Olalekan Oseni, PhD. — Chairman

Dr Oseni started his service as a Commissioner in January 2017. He was subsequently appointed Vice Chairman of the Commission.

His appointment as Chairman took effect from 1 December 2025 and shall subsist until the completion of his ten-year tenure at the Commission, in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2023.

• Yusuf Ali, PhD. — Vice Chairman

Dr Ali was first appointed as a Commissioner in February 2022. His designation as Vice Chairman took effect on 1 December 2025 and shall remain in effect until the completion of his first term.

• Mr Nathan Rogers Shatti — Commissioner

Mr Shatti is serving a second term as commissioner. He was first appointed in January 2017.

• Mr Dafe Akpeneye — Commissioner

Mr Akpeneye is serving a second term, having been first appointed as a Commissioner in January 2017.

• Aisha Mahmud Kanti Bello — Commissioner

Aisha Bello is serving her second term, having been first appointed as a Commissioner in December 2020.

• Dr Chidi Ike — Commissioner

Dr Ike is serving his first term, having been first appointed as a Commissioner in February 2022.

• Dr Fouad Animashaun — Commissioner

Dr Animashaun is serving his first term, effective December 2025.

He is an energy economist with extensive experience in the Nigerian power sector and most recently served as Executive Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

President Tinubu has charged the board members of NERC to deepen and consolidate the ongoing transformation of Nigeria's power sector, in strict alignment with the letter and spirit of the Electricity Act, 2023.

Davido Observes as President Tinubu Declares the Journey to Reclaim Osun in 2026 Has Begun

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji on emerging as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate for Osun State following Saturday’s primary election. Tinubu described Oyebamiji’s victory as the start of the journey to reclaim Osun for the progressive fold in 2026.

He commended the Osun APC for the unity and spirit of reconciliation that characterized the primary, which was conducted through affirmation. The President also praised aspirants who stepped down for Oyebamiji, highlighting their demonstration of party loyalty and commitment to APC ideals.

He urged the candidate to be magnanimous in victory by embracing all party leaders and former aspirants, fostering inclusivity and cohesion as the party moves forward. In a statement by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said: “The journey to reclaim Osun State for the progressive fold in the 2026 governorship election has begun.

I urge all APC members and leaders in the state to remain focused, united, and resolute. Victory is achievable, and together, we will succeed.” The primary election in Osogbo, the state capital, was chaired by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, where party delegates unanimously affirmed Oyebamiji’s candidacy.

The Benin Government Asked Nigeria For Fighter Jets and Ground Troops to Dislodge the Coup Plotters -Onanuga

Nigeria did not just go to the country; Nigeria was invited to step in and help.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy

PRESIDENT TINUBU WELCOMES THE RETURN OF 100 CATHOLIC STUDENTS, CHARGES SECURITY AGENCIES ON SAFE RETURN OF OTHERS

President Bola Tinubu has commended the security agencies for their tireless efforts in securing the freedom of the 100 students of Papiri Catholic School in Niger State.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga indicates that
while expressing his joy over the safe return of the students, President Tinubu equally charged the security agencies to ensure the swift release of the remaining 115 students and their teachers who are still held hostage.

President Tinubu assured the parents that both the federal and the Niger State governments are working closely to reunite all the abducted students with their families.

"I have been briefed on the safe return of 100 students from the Catholic School in Niger State. I rejoice with Governor Umar Bago and commend our security agencies for their steadfast work in ensuring the safe return of the students to their families since the unfortunate incident on November 21.

"My directive to our security forces remains that all the students and other abducted Nigerians across the country must be rescued and brought back home safely. We must account for all the victims. The Federal Government will continue to work with Niger State and other states to secure our schools and make the learning environment safer and more conducive for our young ones.

"From now on, our security agencies, working with the governors, must prevent future kidnappings. Our children should no longer be sitting ducks for heartless terrorists intent on disrupting their education and subjecting them and their parents to unspeakable trauma," President Tinubu said.

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

President Tinubu commends Nigeria's Armed Forces for protecting democracy in Benin Republic

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the gallantry of Nigeria's military on Sunday for responding swiftly to the request by the Government of Benin Republic to save its 35-year-old democracy from coup plotters who struck at dawn today.

Acting on two separate requests from the Government of Benin, President Tinubu first ordered Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to enter the country and take over the airspace to help dislodge the coup plotters from the National TV and a military camp where they had regrouped.

The Republic of Benin, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a Note Verbal, requested immediate Nigerian air support "in view of the urgency and seriousness of the situation and to safeguard the constitutional order, protect national institutions and ensure the security of the population."

In the second request, the authorities in Benin requested the deployment of Nigerian Air Force assets within Beninoise airspace for surveillance and rapid intervention operations under Benin-led coordination.

The Benin government also requested Nigerian ground forces, "strictly for missions approved by the Beninese Command authority in support of the protection of constitutional institutions and the containment of armed Groups."

Nigeria's Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, said all the requests have been fulfilled, with Nigerian ground forces now in Benin.

"Ours is to comply with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces, President Tinubu," he said.

Constitutional order was upended in the Republic of Benin, Nigeria's neighbour, when some soldiers led by Colonel Pascal Tigri announced a coup on Sunday morning. The putschists seized the National TV and claimed they had toppled President Patrice Talon and suspended all democratic institutions.

It took some hours before the government's loyal forces, assisted by Nigeria, took control and flushed out the coup plotters from the National TV.

In his remarks after the restoration of the democratic and constitutional order, President Tinubu saluted the Nigerian armed forces for standing firm as a protector and defender of democracy.

“Today, the Nigerian armed forces stood gallantly as a defender and protector of constitutional order in the Republic of Benin on the invitation of the government. Our armed forces acted within the ambit of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance. They have helped stabilise a neighbouring country and have made us proud of their commitment to sustaining our democratic values and ideals since 1999. Nigeria stands firmly with the government and people of the Republic of Benin."

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President

(Information and Strategy)

December 7, 2025

Tinubu Appoints New Boards for NADF, UBEC and Bank of Agriculture

President Bola Tinubu has approved new boards for three major federal institutions — the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). According to a statement by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, the July appointment of Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura as UBEC chairman remains unchanged, with additional zonal representatives appointed. For the Bank of Agriculture, Tinubu reaffirmed earlier appointments, including Muhammad Babangida as chairman and Ayo Sotinrin as managing director, alongside new executive and non-executive directors from all geopolitical zones. The NADF board was also fully constituted, with Bello Maccido named chairman and other members appointed to represent various zones, completing the agency’s leadership structure.

STATEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

PRESIDENT TINUBU NOMINATES GENERAL CHRISTOPHER MUSA AS THE NEW MINISTER OF DEFENCE

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Gwabin Musa as the new Minister of Defence.

In a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, President Tinubu conveyed General Musa’s nomination as the successor to Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who resigned on Monday.

General Musa, 58, on December 25, is a distinguished soldier who served as Chief of Defence Staff from 2023 until October 2025. He won the Colin Powell Award for Soldiering in 2012.

Born in Sokoto in 1967, General Musa received his primary and secondary education there before attending the College of Advanced Studies in Zaria. He graduated in 1986 and enrolled at the Nigerian Defence Academy the same year, earning a Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1991.

General Musa was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1991 and has since had a distinguished career. His appointments include General Staff Officer 1, Training/Operations at HQ 81 Division; Commanding Officer, 73 Battalion; Assistant Director, Operational Requirements, Department of Army Policy and Plans; and Infantry Representative/Member, Training Team, HQ Nigerian Army Armour Corps.

In 2019, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Training/Operations, Headquarters Infantry Centre and Corps; Commander, Sector 3, Operation Lafiya Dole; and Commander, Sector 3 Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Region.

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

In the letter to the Senate, President Tinubu expressed confidence in General Musa’s ability to lead the Ministry of Defence and further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President,
(Information and Strategy)
December 2, 2025