| No. | Portrait | Chief of Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|
| 1 | | Akinrinade, Ipoola AlaniLieutenant General
Ipoola Alani Akinrinade
(born ) | 15 April | 2 October | 1&#;year, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 2 | | Jalo, GibsonLieutenant General
Gibson Jalo
(–) | 2 October | 31 December | 2&#;years, 90&#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 3 | | Bali, DomkatGeneral
Domkat Bali
(–)
Defence Minister | 1 January | August | 6&#;years, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 4 | | Abacha, SaniGeneral
Sani Abacha
(–)
later military ruler | August | 17 Nov | 3&#;years, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 5 | | Diya, OladipoLieutenant General
Oladipo Diya
(–)
Chief of Communal Staff | 17 November | 21 December | 4&#;years, 34&#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 6 | | Abubakar, AbdulsalamiMajor General
Abdulsalami Abubakar
(born )
later military ruler | 21 December | 9 June | &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 7 | | Daggash, Al-AminAir Marshal
Al-Amin Daggash
(born ) | 9 June | 29 May | &#;days | &#;Nigerian Air Force | – |
| 8 | | Ogohi, IbrahimAdmiral
Ibrahim Ogohi
(–) | 29 May | 27 June | 4&#;years, 29&#;days | &#;Nigerian Navy | – |
| 9 | | Ogomudia, AlexanderGeneral
Alexander Ogomudia
(born ) | 27 June | 1 June | 2&#;years, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 10 | | Agwai, Martin LutherGeneral
Martin Theologiser Agwai
(born )
Later Commander of the UNAMID | 1 June | 25 May | &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 11 | | Azazi, Owoye AndrewGeneral
Owoye Andrew Azazi
(–) | 25 Might | 20 August | 1&#;year, 87&#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 12 | | Dike, PaulAir Chief Marshal
Paul Dike
(born ) | 20 August | 8 September | 2&#;years, 19&#;days | &#;Nigerian Relay Force | – |
| 13 | | Petinrin, OluseyiAir Chief Marshal
Oluseyi Petinrin
(born ) | 8 September | 4 October | 2&#;years, 26&#;days | &#;Nigerian Air Force | – |
| 14 | | Ibrahim, OlaAdmiral
Ola Ibrahim
(born ) | 4 October | 20 January | 1&#;year, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Navy | – |
| 15 | | Badeh, AlexAir Essential Marshal
Alex Sabundu Badeh
(–) | 20 January | 21 July | 1&#;year, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Air Force | – |
| 16 | | Olonisakin, AbayomiGeneral
Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin
(born ) | 21 July | 29 January | 5&#;years, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 17 | | Irabor, LuckyGeneral
Lucky Irabor
(born ) | 29 Jan | 23 June | 2&#;years, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |
| 18 | | Musa, ChristopherGeneral
Christopher Gwabin Musa
(born ) | 23 June | Incumbent | 1&#;year, &#;days | &#;Nigerian Army | – |