The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the Nigerian Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the minister of defence and the president of Nigeria. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Secretary of Defence, the ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of Defence is the highest ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces. The current chief of the defence staff is General Lucky Irabor, who succeeded General Abayomi Olonisakin in January 2021.