Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) from inception till date

No Rank Chief of Defence Staff Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch
1 Lieutenant General Akinrinade, Ipoola Alani 15 April 1980 1 October 1981 1 year, 6 months Nigerian Army
2 Lieutenant General Gibson Jallo 2 October 1981 3 January 1984 2 years, 93 days Nigerian Army
3 General Domkat Bali 4 January 1984 28 December 1989 5 years, 3 days Nigerian Army
4 General Sani Abacha 20 December 1989 16 November 1993 3 years, 11 months Nigerian Army
5 Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya 17 September 1993 30 November 1993 2 months, 12 days Nigerian Army
6 General Abdulsalami Abubakar 1 December 1993 7 June 1998 4 years, 7 months Nigerian Army
7 Air Marshall Al-Amin Daggash 9 July 1998 28 May 1999 10 Months, 21 Days Nigerian Air Force
8 Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi 29 May 1999 2 June 2003 3 years, 31 days Nigerian Navy
9 General Alexander Ogomudia 9 June 2003 1 June 2006 3 years Nigerian Army
10 General Martin Luther Agwai 1 June 2006 11 June 2007 1 year, 29 days Nigerian Army
11 General Owoye Andrew Azazi 11 June 2007 28 August 2008 1 year, 2 month Nigerian Army
12 Air Chief Marshall Paul Dike 28 August 2008 13 September 2010 2 years, 1 month Nigerian Air Force
13 Air Chief Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin 8 September 2010 4 October 2012 2 years, 27 days Nigerian Air Force
14 Admiral Ola Ibrahim 4 October 2012 20 January 2014 1 year, 3 months Nigerian Navy
15 Air Chief Marshall Alex Sabundu Badeh 16 January 2014 15 July 2015 1 year, 6 months Nigerian Air Force
16 General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin 13 July 2015 29th January 2021 5 years 6 months Nigerian Army
17 General Lucky Eluonye Onyenuchea Irabor 29th January, 2021 23rd June, 2023 2 years 5 months Nigerian Army
18 General Christopher Gwabin Musa 23rd June, 2023 Incumbent Incumbent Nigerian Army