essay on nigeria independence day

National Today

• Arts & Entertainment
• Food & Beverage
• Relationships
• Special Interest

Gift Guides

Got an idea for a holiday send it to us.

Nigeria Independence Day – October 1, 2024

Nigeria Independence Day is on October 1. It celebrates the country’s independence from British rule which occurred in 1960. The government of Nigeria celebrates this holiday annually. The President’s address to the public marks the beginning of the festivities, this is broadcasted on radio and television. The Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the workforce, and national education services all celebrate this day with the public. Offices and markets will close on this day and the citizens take to the street dressed in green and white to celebrate. Primary and secondary schools also perform a parade in various state capitals and local government areas.

History of Nigeria Independence Day

Southern Nigeria Protectorate was combined with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1917 to create the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria. This is what we now know as modern-day Nigeria.

In 1950 the British Empire started to decline and many territories in Africa were calling for independence. This led to Nigeria being granted independence from Britain on October 1, 1960, and becoming the Federation of Nigeria. A new constitution was established with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state. Nnamdi Azikiwe who was previously the Governor-General was the first President. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa continued to serve as the prime minister, a position he had held since 1957.

In June 1961 the northern part of the Trust Territory of the Cameroons joined the Northern region of Nigeria and in October the Southern Cameroons united with the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a republic with Azikiwe as president of the country.

Ethnic competitiveness, educational inequality, and economic imbalance caused regional stresses. To combat this the Mid-Western region was created in August 1963 but the country was still divided into three large geographic regions, each controlled by an ethnic group: the west by the Yoruba, the east by the Igbo, and the north by the Hausa-Fulani.

The fraudulent election in October 1965 led to the collapse of order in the west. In January 1966 a group of army officers attempted to overthrow the federal government, and Prime Minister Balewa and two of the regional premiers were murdered. Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi set up a military administration. He planned to abolish the regions and create a united government but this was met with anti-Igbo riots in the north. The political situation was worsened by the military intervention as the army split along ethnic lines. Officers clashed over power and the instigators and leaders of the January coup were accused of favoring Igbo domination.

In July 1967 after many attempts to save the country, a civil war broke out. It lasted from July 6, 1967, to January 15, 1970.

Nigeria Independence Day timeline

The British establish their presence in Lagos.

Britain consolidates its hold over the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria which it governs through local leaders.

Parliamentary elections are held in Nigeria on December 12, 1959.

Nigeria is granted independence.

Balewa is killed in a coup and Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi forms the military government.

Nigeria Independence Day FAQ s

When did nigeria gain independence.

Full independence was granted to the Federation of Nigeria on October 1, 1960.

How long was Nigeria colonized?

The Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria were colonized from 1914 to 1954 and the Federation of Nigeria from 1954 to 1960.

Who gave Nigeria her name?

Journalist Flora Shaw suggested the name Nigeria.

How to Observe Nigeria Independence Day

Wear green and white.

Wear green and white to celebrate. If you don’t have any clothes fitting that color scheme, don the flag.

Host a celebration

Plan a celebration and invite friends to celebrate the day with you. You can listen to traditional music and party the day away.

Cook an authentic Nigerian meal

Celebrate by cooking authentic Nigerian meals. Nigeria is known for its delicacies, why not try some today?

5 Facts About Nigeria

Seventh-most populous country in the world.

More than 200 million people call Nigeria home.

The population mainly comprises Christian or Muslims

Other religions are practiced in Nigeria but the majority of the population is Christian or Muslim.

English is the official language

There are 520 spoken languages in Nigeria but English is the official language.

Nigeria has a thriving film industry

Nollywood is the name of Nigeria's film industry and it is one of the largest film producers in the world.

The largest economy in Africa

Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa due to its export market.

Why Nigeria Independence Day is Important

There are celebrations outside of nigeria.

New York hosts the biggest celebration of Nigerian independence outside of Nigeria. Join in and celebrate!

It’s a day for family gatherings

Many spend the day with family and friends sharing traditional meals. Gather your family and friends and cook a traditional meal to experience the culture.

A day of rest

If parties and parades aren't your things, many also use this day as a day of rest. If a large celebration isn’t on your to-do list, taking the day off for some relaxation is perfectly acceptable.

Nigeria Independence Day dates

Holidays Straight to Your Inbox

Every day is a holiday! Receive fresh holidays directly to your inbox.

• 6,286 Days celebrated
• 18,858 Ways to celebrate
• 1,000,000+ Happy users
• Our Mission
• For Businesses
• For Journalists
• For Influencers
• Submit a Holiday
• Promote an Event
• Work With Us
• Submit an Error

Our Services

• Create A Holiday
• Sponsor A Holiday
• Data Licensing
• National Today Calendar
• Reviews and Gift Guides

Shopping Reviews

• Health & Fitness
• Home & Garden
• By Interest
• By Occasion
• By Recipient

Popular Holidays

• National Girlfriend Day
• Day of the Dead
• National Boyfriend Day
• National Sons Day
• Mexican Independence Day
• Pride Month
• National Best Friends Day
• National Daughter Day
• World Bicycle Day
• National Dog Day

About National Today

We keep track of fun holidays and special moments on the cultural calendar — giving you exciting activities, deals, local events, brand promotions, and other exciting ways to celebrate.

Follow us on

• The Ultimate Guide To Celebrating...

The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Nigeria's Independence Day

October 1, 2018 will mark 58 years since Nigeria gained its independence from the British in 1960. Here’s your ultimate guide to celebrating this monumental day at home and abroad.

Nigeria’s national history

The history of settlers living in Nigeria can be traced to 1100 BC. The Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Empire, the Songhai Empire and the Oyo Empire are all diverse ancient African civilizations that are said to have settled in the region now known as Nigeria.

Lagos , the former capital of Nigeria, was invaded by British forces in 1851 and then became a British protectorate in 1901. Colonization lasted for over a hundred years, benefiting from the region’s natural resources until after the World War II when a movement for independence arose. On October 1,1960 Nigeria gained its independence. Afterwards, an all-Nigerian Executive Council was formed and headed by Prime Minister, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa until three years later, when Nigeria became a republic led by Nnamdi Azikiwe as its first President.

Today, Nigeria’s three main tribes are the Yoruba , the Igbo and the Hausa . In addition to other smaller tribes, the country has over 520 languages , although it retains English as its official language.

How Nigerians celebrate Independence Day

It is common knowledge among Africans that Nigerians will find any excuse to party. Although most corporate businesses and government departments are closed, on Independence Day restaurants, shops, and markets are open as normal, making the most of the celebrations and helping families to prepare big meals for gatherings. The event is celebrated by Nigerians of all cultures and religions both at home and abroad.

Here are some of the ways Nigerians celebrate this special occasion :

Independence Day Parade

Become a Culture Tripper!

Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $1,200 on our unique trips..

See privacy policy .

On the morning of October 1, the President of Nigeria broadcasts a live speech to declare the inauguration of the Independence Day celebrations. This is followed by the raising of the flag while the national anthem is being sung. A parade by the armed forces ensues, and finally the national cake is cut to commemorate the celebrations at Aso Rock (the name given to the Presidential Villa).

During the celebrations, people are out in the streets waving and wearing the colours of the flag – green and white. Some schools also put on their own parades, including the Boys Brigade in Abuja.

Organised parties and shows

“Ain’t no party like a Lagos party” is the catchphrase made popular by Afrobeat musician Banky Wellington, and this national holiday lives up to that promise . Most clubs in the cities host Independence Day-themed events. Some venues offer free entrance for women before a set time.

Young people also use this opportunity to put on their own events in their local areas, inviting their friends, classmates and other party-lovers, only emphasising that any excuse to party is a welcomed affair in Nigeria.

In the past, some TV stations and malls have been known to organise parties for children in their communities where they can enjoy games, food and raffles.

Comedy shows are also hosted by the best comedians in the industry. In 2017, the annual Lord Of The Ribs With Basketmouth took place at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos on September 30. The live event featured other African comedians from across the continent and diaspora such as D’Lai (USA), Donnivin Jordan (USA), Salvador (UGANDA), Kevin J (USA), Celeste Ntuli (SA), Angel Campey (SA), Okey Bakassi, I Go Dye, Buchi, Bovi, and I Go Save.

The next day at the same venue, the Supremacy Concert was scheduled, and included performances from artists such as Olamide, Tiwa Savage, Tekno, and D’Banj, among others.

Family gatherings and fireworks

For many Nigerians, the day is spent with family or visiting friends and sharing a traditional meal of jollof rice with plantain and chicken or other traditional soups such as egusi soup, ogbono soup, okro soup, or banga soup, which are either eaten with pounded yam, eba, amala or fufu.

As there are no official firework displays, most young people buy their fireworks from local vendors and light them themselves in celebration of the day.

Fun at the beach

For those with a love for the seaside, a day at the beach is a sure bet! Once again, the beach usually turns into a makeshift outdoor club as huge speakers can be found under tents blasting both the latest Afrobeats or older Fuji tunes which older generations are happy to call “the better type of music.”

Family and friends head to the beach with picnics. However, different types of barbecued meats and fish can be bought from independent traders.

A day of rest

For others, the national holiday is simply seen as a day of rest and a time to wind down. They enjoy taking a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life before it starts all over again the next working day.

Celebrations outside Nigeria

The biggest celebration of Nigerian independence outside of Nigeria is in New York, where every year the day is commemorated with a parade. Nigerians and her supporters in America travel from different states across the USA to the bustling city to celebrate the monumental event. The Independence Day festival started in 1991 and has continued ever since.

In 2017, the festival was a three-day celebration including a parade held from 10am to 5pm. The parade route started at Second Avenue and E. 54th Street and ended at E. 44th Street. The Organising Committee Chairman, Mr Yinka Dansalami said the event attracts an average of 75,000 people annually.

Meanwhile, in London, Nigerian event organisers Cococure are also set to celebrate in style with an Independence Day Afrobeat Brunch on October 6, 2018. The brunch will take place at their usual event space at Proud City, in East London, and will be hosted by MC Daps with music from DJ Sean. The menu includes bottomless prosecco and an all-you-can-eat buffet of traditional Nigerian foods.

Nigeria’s Sustainable Fashion Industry

Guides & Tips

21 essential hausa phrases you'll need in nigeria.

Double Vision: Capturing the Culture of Twinhood in West Africa

The Kingdom of Ife: Nigeria's Ancient City of Art

A Guide to the Indigenous People of Nigeria

History Rediscovered: Sungbo’s Eredo, Nigeria’s Lost Yoruba Kingdom

Essential Yoruba Phrases You’ll Need in Nigeria

Adebayo Oke-Lawal Uses Fashion To Fight Toxic Masculinity in Nigeria

When's the Best Time of Year to Visit Nigeria?

See & Do

Celebrating felabration in lagos with music legend, femi kuti.

Architecture

A tour of abuja, nigeria in famous buildings.

‘Monochrome Lagos’: A Photographic Study of a Nigerian City

Culture Trip Summer Sale

Save up to $1,200 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

• Post ID: 1000400229
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples World Nigeria

Independence Day – Let Nigeria Rise

*minimum deadline

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below

• Philippines

Related Essays

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

BlackPast is dedicated to providing a global audience with reliable and accurate information on the history of African America and of people of African ancestry around the world. We aim to promote greater understanding through this knowledge to generate constructive change in our society.

(1960) sir abubakar tafawa balewa, “independence day”.

On Saturday, October 1, 1960, Nigeria became an independent nation.  What follows is Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s speech delivered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos at the Independence Ceremony.  

Today is Independence Day. The first of October 1960 is a date to which for two years every Nigerian has been eagerly looking forward. At last, our great day has arrived, and Nigeria is now indeed an independent sovereign nation.

Words cannot adequately express my joy and pride at being the Nigerian citizen privileged to accept from Her Royal Highness these Constitutional Instruments which are the symbols of Nigeria’s Independence. It is a unique privilege which I shall remember for ever, and it gives me strength and courage as I dedicate my life to the service of our country.

This is a wonderful day, and it is all the more wonderful because we have awaited it with increasing impatience, compelled to watch one country after another overtaking us on the road when we had so nearly reached our goal. But now we have acquired our rightful status, and I feel sure that history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace: it has been thorough, and Nigeria now stands well- built upon firm foundations.

Today’s ceremony marks the culmination of a process which began fifteen years ago and has now reached a happy and successful conclusion. It is with justifiable pride that we claim the achievement of our Independence to be unparalleled in the annals of history. Each step of our constitutional advance has been purposefully and peacefully planned with full and open consultation, not only between representatives of all the various interests in Nigeria but in harmonious cooperation with the administering power which has today relinquished its authority.

At the time when our constitutional development entered upon its final phase, the emphasis was largely upon self-government. We, the elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, concentrated on proving that we were fully capable of managing our own affairs both internally and as a nation. However, we were not to be allowed the selfish luxury of focusing our interest on our own homes. In these days of rapid communications we cannot live in isolation, apart from the rest of the world, even if we wished to do so. All too soon it has become evident that for us Independence implies a great deal more than self-government. This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave international issues.

This fact has of recent months been unhappily emphasized by the startling events which have occurred in this continent. I shall not labour the point but it would be unrealistic not to draw attention first to the awe-inspiring task confronting us at the very start of our nationhood. When this day in October 1960 was chosen for our Independence it seemed that we were destined to move with quiet dignity to place on the world stage. Recent events have changed the scene beyond recognition, so that we find ourselves today being tested to the utmost We are called upon immediately to show that our claims to responsible government are well-founded, and having been accepted as an indepedent state we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilisation. I promise you, we shall not fail for want of determination.

And we come to this task better-equipped than many. For this, I pay tribute to the manner in which successive British Governments have gradually transferred the burden of responsibility to our shoulders. The assistance and unfailing encouragement which we have received from each Secretary of State for the Colonies and their intense personal interest in our development has immeasurably lightened that burden.

All our friends in the Colonial Office must today be proud of their handiwork and in the knowledge that they have helped to lay the foundations of a lasting friendship between our two nations. I have indeed every confidence that, based on the happy experience of a successful partnership, our future relations with the United Kingdom will be more cordial than ever, bound together, as we shall be in the Commonwealth, by a common allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, whom today we proudly acclaim as Queen of Nigeria and Head of the Commonwealth.

Time will not permit the individual mention of all those friends, many of them Nigerians, whose selfless labours have contributed to our Independence. Some have not lived to see the fulfilment of their hopes—on them be peace—but nevertheless they are remembered here, and the names of buildings and streets and roads and bridges throughout the country recall to our minds their achievements, some of them on a national scale. Others confined, perhaps, to a small area in one Division, are more humble but of equal value in the sum-total.

Today, we have with us representatives of those who have made Nigeria: Representatives of the Regional Governments, of former Central Governments, of the Missionary Societies, and of the Banking and Commercial enterprises, and members, both past and present, of the Public Service. We welcome you, and we rejoice that you have been able to come and share in our celebrations. We wish that it could have been possible for all of those whom you represent to be here today: Many, I know, will be disappointed to be absent, but if they are listening to me now, I say to them: ‘Thank you on behalf of my Thank you for your devoted service which helped build up Nigeria into a nation. Today we are reaping the harvest which you sowed, and the quality of the harvest is equalled only by our gratitude to you. May God bless you all.

This is an occasion when our hearts are filled with conflicting emotions: we are, indeed, proud to have achieved our independence, and proud that our efforts should have contributed to this happy event. But do not mistake our pride for arrogance. It is tempered by feelings of sincere gratitude to all who have shared in the task of developing Nigeria politically, socially and economically. We are grateful to the British officers whom we have known, first as masters, and then as leaders, and finally as partners, but always as friends.  And there have been countless missionaries who have laboured unceasingly in the cause of education and to whom we owe many of our medical services. We are grateful also to those who have brought modern methods of banking and of commerce, and new industries. I wish to pay tribute to all of these people and to declare our everlasting admiration of their devotion to duty. And, finally, I must express our gratitude to Her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra of Kent for personally bringing to us these symbols of our freedom, and especially for delivering the gracious message from Her Majesty The Queen. And so, with the words ‘God Save Our Queen’, I open a new chapter in the history of Nigeria, and of the Commonwealth, and indeed of the world.

Do you find this information helpful? A small donation would help us keep this available to all. Forego a bottle of soda and donate its cost to us for the information you just learned, and feel good about helping to make it available to everyone.

BlackPast.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and our EIN is 26-1625373. Your donation is fully tax-deductible.

Cite this entry in APA format:

Source of the author's information:.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Mr. Prime Minister: A Selection of Speeches Made by Alhaji the Right Honourable Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, K.B.E., M.P., Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Apapa: Nigerian National Press, Ltd., 1964).

• Monday, August 26, 2024

© 2023 - Businessday NG. All Rights Reserved.

Independence day: Becoming Nigerian

When independence was gained in 1960, tribalism was a dominant force and ethnic divisions widespread.

Home to 180 million people, one quarter of the entire African continent’s citizens, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation. The British, who colonised the nation for the first 60 years of the 20th century, ruled over some 250 tribes often by playing one off against the other.

So when independence was gained in October 1960, tribalism was a powerful force.

Keep reading

What’s the big mystery behind the shroud of turin, trinidad and tobago redraws coat of arms to remove columbus’s three ships, sisters divided: how partition ruptured a family in a vanishing community, what does chicago represent for the democratic national convention.

Nigerians who took over at independence were faced with the challenge of trying to form a sense of Nigerian belonging and identity. Most people could only relate to their ethnic groupings.

These divisions have remained within Nigerian society, intermittently causing outbreaks of deadly violence. Despite Nigeria’s enormous oil reserves, its population is poor, collective victims of rampant corruption.

But can this country fulfill its potential and become the biggest African success story?

Despite there being many different tribes in Nigeria, three major ethnicities have traditionally dominated the country’s politics and resources. At independence the federal constitution divided the country into three principalities, each run by one of the main ethnic groups: The Hausa-Fulani in the north, the Yoruba in the south-west and the Igbo in the south-east.

“I consider myself a Yoruba before I’m a Nigerian. That’s my immediate instant identity. And I think most intellectuals will say the same thing, and politicians. However, here we are together, brought together by the British. Operating the same constitution. A new identity which supervenes the various ethnic nationalities, is born,” Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian Nobel Peace Laureate, says.

But ethnic divisions have never gone away in Nigeria. And as the various groups vied for supremacy in Nigeria’s immediate post-colonial period, the military intervened, just as they had done in other African nations.

“[Independence] came at a time when the whole of Africa, the whole third world, were also changing to another phenomenon, and that is military. In 1952 there was a military coup in Egypt for example, in the 50s then it came to Ghana, and so on, so we came within that environment when the military was the ‘in’-thing,” Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a former Nigerian military leader, says.

Seun Kuti: What it means to be Nigerian

In January 1966, Nigeria’s first military coup took place. It was cautiously welcomed by a population who hoped it would bring equality among the major ethnic groups. But such hopes were quickly dashed when it became clear that the majority of the coup leaders were of Igbo decent and the casualties mostly Hausa.

“There was this feeling that the coup was ethnically imbalanced. One side of the country was spared, the other side of the country had greater casualties in this, and immediately there was agitation for ‘revenge’,” Babangida says.

“So there were reprisals in the north and certain parts of the south and the first wave of reprisals and second wave and the third wave was more brutal than anything,” Soyinka says.

Thiry-thousand Igbo were killed in fighting with Hausas, and around one million Igbo were internally displaced.

“People were just butchered, there was nothing more than an act of genocide,” Soyinka says. 

The struggle for unity

Nigeria was soon embroiled in a bloody civil war. On May 30, 1967, Igbo leader Colonel Emeka Ojukwu, unilaterally declared the independent Republic of Biafra in the south-east of the country.

The oil-rich region of the Niger Delta was within its boundaries. But Nigeria’s other ethnic groups would not let this region go without a fight.

“Those of us who fought the civil war, believe Nigeria is worth dying for in unity, better than living in division and destruction,” Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president, says.

The struggle for unity would come at a devastating price. Over one million people would be killed as the war dragged on, and famine took hold in the self-proclaimed state of Biafra.

“Now I thought the war was very immoral and I still think so to today. These were people who had been really really brutalised and dehumanised, and it was bad tactics for them at the time to declare independence. But as far political morality was concerned I felt they had every right,” Soyinka says.

READ: I remember the day… I designed the Nigerian flag

The war ended in 1970, with the south-east once again part of Nigeria. But divisions persisted and, in some places, remain to this day.

At the crossroads of the Muslim north and the Christian south the British set up a tin mining area around the city of Jos in Plateau State. Migrants from different parts of Nigeria flowed in seeking work. The city became known for its ethnic diversity.

“Jos was in fact a heaven for all those who were even running away from areas of conflict in other parts of Nigeria,” Gyang Pwajok, the director of planning in Jos, says.

By the time of independence though, tin mining was already in decline. Yet these disparate ethnic groups continued to live side by side, competing for ever-fewer resources.

Sectarian violence

Over the last decade sectarian attacks and counter attacks have plagued Jos. The  most recent outbreak of violence occurred in March 2010, when a machete-wielding mob from the Muslim Hausa Fulani ethnic group descended on the Christian village of Dogo Nahawa on the outskirts of the city.

This is just the latest in a series of attacks on both sides of the community. Throughout Jos thousands have died and thousands more have been made homeless.

“So you have a situation where perpetrators become victims and victims become perpetrators, in a situation of that nature you cannot continue to play the blame game and begin to say it’s only this side or that side because certainly no one wants to sit down and watch for him to be annihilated,” Pwajok says.

On the surface, it would seem that religious tensions are to blame for the violence. But, according to some, this is a simplistic explanation.

“I am one of those who consistently says this is not the case, yes if we have a crisis that is of a religious nature I believe by now we would have arrested it, but we have so many religious leaders, Muslims and Christians, who are willing to work to prevent this crisis. But that we have worked and the crisis still erupts each time means that we have to look beyond religion. When you look in the wrong direction and religion is blamed for everything, I say it is like escaping the reality,” Ignatius A Kaigama, the archbishop of Jos, says.

The reality is far more complex. Since independence, Nigeria has grown from three provinces to 36 states, with the intention of distributing the nation’s resources more fairly between the different ethnicities.

But in Plateau State, a distinction has grown between those whose ancestral origins were in the state and those who moved there later. This, coupled with ethnic and religious differences, has made Jos especially vulnerable to brutal conflict.

The city was once lauded for its integrated population. But it is now largely divided between Muslim and Christian neighbourhoods.

“It is dangerous in the sense that now when people are seggregated, when there is a conflict people know we direct our attack to this environment, to that environment and this is really becoming a problem,” Khalid Aliyu Abubakar, one of Jos’s imams, says.

The archbishop thinks that something has to be done by the government to create a sense of belonging and a patriotic feeling.

“That national spirit that national pride I’m a Nigerian first and foremost, no, I am this tribe I am this religion before I am a Nigerian, this has to change. Even what is happening in Jos now, if you don’t tackle it well and try to proactively prevent it, it will escalate and before you know it it has assumed in national dimension,” he says.

Potential for prosperity

Four years before Nigeria gained independence from Britain, oil was discovered.

The potential for prosperity was clear. Between the oil boom of 1970 and 2007 the Nigerian government’s coffers have been enriched by almost $1.2tn in today’s money. But much of the profit has been squandered.

The country has consistently ranked one of the most corrupt in the world, and 90 per cent of the population continues to live on less than $2 a day.

In Nigeria stories of politicians and businessmen siphoning off the country’s resources are widespread. It is estimated that over $380bn have been stolen or wasted by Nigerian governments since independence.

For the majority of these five decades, military governments, unaccountable to the electorate, have held power.

Under General Ibrahim Badamisi Babangida, known as IBB, who ruled the country for eight years from 1985, corruption is said to have reached unprecedented levels. The World Bank estimates that in one year alone $2.1bn in petroleum sales were diverted to unknown accounts.

“No one can prove that to you, if you ask for proof, you will not get it,” Babangida says.

But in Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, proof of the effects of corruption is there for all to see. In a city of close to 17 million, two-thirds of the population live in slums.

In Makoko, a community built on the waterways of Lagos, locals survive without even the most basic resources.

“People in the community have no money to establish a school or a hospital. Because you have to be educated to become a doctor. The government wouldn’t be able to look after them. We can’t rely on the government of Nigeria. I think probably the community is starting to organise to help themselves. That is what we have started doing now,” Noah Shemede, a teacher, says.

Ethnic harmony

Yet, despite the economic extremes, and the cosmopolitan population, Lagos is, by and large, a harmonious city.

Although predominantly Yoruba, almost all of Nigeria’s ethnic groups are represented here. And like the nation itself, Lagos is divided almost equally between Christian and Muslims.    “The people of Lagos are interwoven. Amongst some families in Lagos you find Chiristians and Muslims. If you decide now to fight, go to war between Christian and Muslim you would have to kill a member of your own family. That’s why in Lagos there’s perfect understanding between Christians and Muslims. So we cannot discriminate against ourselves,” Abdul Hafeez Abou, a Yoruba tribal chief, says.

Lagos is an energetic, exciting and vibrant. It is fast becoming a 24-hour city. In fact, many people refer to it as the New York of Africa and that is despite some of the serious problems here, for example the lack of power, the lack of running water, and the increasing cost of living it is still a city on the move.

Many people from other African states came to work here. But it is not just immigrants who are fueling the country’s economy. There is some evidence of a reversal of Nigeria’s brain drain. Fifteen million citizens left the country during the 1980s and 1990s due to a lack of opportunities. But some are now returning.

“Here the spirit of people is just great. You can’t beat it. Having lived in the UK for 20 years just to be at home is great. I’ve fortunately got great stuff going on with work. And you can contribute back, you can help them in life, help them with education, you can make an impact, more than you can in the West,” Tola Akarele, an entrepreneur, says.

“We can change our own country and continent. If you fix Nigeria, you fix Africa. That’s a fact,” Chike Nwagbogu, a businessman, says.

With upcoming elections in 2011 Nigerians are hoping that 50 years after independence, the political will exists to make the most of the country’s enormous potential.

“Sometimes civil society goes to sleep for a long time and wakes up and realises that the world has really moved beyond when it went to sleep. And then it becomes angry. And things happen and sometimes hopefully, it happens in a systemic organised way. Right now civil society is waking up and one is observing and participating with cautious optimism,” Soyinka says.

This film was first published in 2010.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• UK Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Nigeria Independence Day 2018: The importance of 1 October in the West African nation’s history

Country twice freed from authoritarian control to become vibrant democracy, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails, thanks for signing up to the breaking news email.

Nigeria celebrates its independence day on 1 October every year.

West Africa's most populous nation - home to approximately 186 million in 2018 - freed itself from British colonial rule on this date in 1960 and the anniversary is being marked on Monday with huge national celebrations and by the latest Google Doodle depicting the spectacular Zuma Rock west of Abuja .

President Muhammadu Buhari has already addressed the nation, pledging free and fair elections in 2019, praising the country's security forces for enhancing safety and calling for more compassionate exchanges on social media.

His doing so provides the curtain-raiser for a day of festivities, including parades by students, traditional folk music concerts and Abuja's famous military march.

Today's occasion will also be observed by members of the Nigerian diaspora in cities around the world, with many pausing to reflect on their nation's history.

The first European colonists to establish a presence in Nigeria were Spanish and Portuguese explorers, who traded with the locals from port towns along the Gulf of Guinea, first establishing Lagos as the key commercial hub it remains today.

The British Empire began to dominate the territory in the 19th century through the Royal Niger Company, fending off German competition for resources and establishing the borders of modern Nigeria in 1914 when the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was formed.

When calls for the end of colonial rule swept the continent after the Second World War , Nigeria was granted its independence precisely 58 years ago today, an occasion marked by fireworks, dancing, masquerades and a state banquet, attended by British representative Princess Alexandria.

Initially a parliamentary democracy under prime minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and governor-generals Nnamdi Azikiwe and Sir James Wilson Robertson, the country became a federal republic when a new constitution was adopted on 1 October 1963, Azikiwe becoming Nigeria's first president.

Following a coup in 1966, Nigeria was ruled by a military junta until democracy was restored in 1979, again on 1 October, a date of recurrent significance to the country and its people, a day on which it has twice been released from authoritarian control.

From the booming Nollywood film industry to the exploits of the Super Eagles on the football pitch, Nigerians have much to be proud of but the problem of uniting a nation of 36 states across which over 500 languages are spoken - seven per cent of the globe's total - can be tricky.

But the country's flag embodies precisely that goal: the green representing its agricultural lands, the white the people's commitment to peace and togetherness.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

Independence Day Speech by President Buhari on the Occasion of Nigeria 61st Independence Anniversary

Citizens of Nigeria.

It is with full gratitude to God that today, we celebrate Nigeria’s sixty first Independence Anniversary.

2. For 1st of October 1960 to happen, all hands were on deck. East, West, North all came together to celebrate freedom. Today should not only serve as a reminder of the day the British handed over the reins of power to Nigerians, but also unified Nigerians from all ethnic groups, religions and regions.

3. Today, despite the challenges we face, most Nigerians still maintain the spirit of 1st October. That positive outlook and determination to make Nigeria a peaceful and prosperous nation. It is due to this collective attitude that Nigeria doggedly continues to remain a united and indivisible nation.

4. Fellow Nigerians, the past eighteen months have been some of the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria. Since the civil war, I doubt whether we have seen a period of more heightened challenges than what we have witnessed in this period.

5. Our original priorities for 2020 were to continue stabilising our economy following the deep recession while restoring peace in areas confronted with security challenges. But the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on all nations meant we needed to shift gears and re-strategise.

6. Nigerians came together as one to fight against COVID-19. It is this attitude and by the special grace of God, we continue to survive the pandemic as a nation and indeed, provide leadership and example at regional and international levels.

7. The doomsday scenario predicted for our country never came. Even as the Delta variant continues to spread, we have built the capacity we need to respond now and into the future.

8. I will therefore appeal to Nigerians not to take COVID lightly, adhere to public health and social measures, put your mask on and get vaccinated. We can control this pandemic, but it requires effort on everybody’s part. The investments we made in response to COVID-19 will also serve our country to tackle any future disease outbreaks or pandemics.

9. Despite the global inequity in access to vaccines, the Government of Nigeria has continued to explore all available options to ensure Nigerians have free access to safe and effective vaccines.

10. Some five million vaccine doses have been administered to Nigerians through efforts led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency and we will continue to explore options for purchase or acquisition of vaccines such as through COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust.

11. I will take this opportunity to remind the global community that the current state of access to COVID-19 vaccines is unacceptable. We cannot afford a situation where a handful of countries keep the global vaccine supply to themselves at the expense of other nations.

12. We must act now to accelerate equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. This is the message I conveyed to the international community in New York last week.

13. As we push to source vaccines for our immediate needs, we shall invest more to support our pharmaceutical and research agencies to come up with ideas for locally developed vaccines. Should another pandemic arise in the future, Our question is simple; will Nigeria be ready?

14. Accordingly, I have directed the Ministries of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Health, Education and Science and Technology to work with Nigerian and International pharmaceutical companies and research organisations to enhance Nigeria’s domestic pharmaceutical capacity.

15. Already, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority is raising a $200 million fund for this initiative that will complement the Central Bank of Nigeria’s ongoing N85 billion Healthcare Sector Research and Development Intervention Scheme to support local researchers in the development of vaccines and drugs to combat communicable and non-communicable diseases, including COVID-19.

Fellow Nigerians, this is just the beginning.

16. Similarly, on our approach to food security, I am proud to announce Nigeria has commenced its journey to pharmaceutical independence.

17. This journey, which will take years to achieve but will ultimately result in Nigerian based companies developing the Active Pharmaceutical substances and competence needed for us to make our own drugs and vaccines.

Fellow Nigerians,

18. As our economy continues to open after the COVID-19 related lockdowns, we have also seen the resurgence of insecurity in certain parts of the country.

19. In the last four months, the gallant men and women of the Military and Security Agencies have made tremendous progress in addressing these new security challenges. We are taking the fight to our enemies from all angles and we are winning.

20. Earlier this year, I launched the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, the Deep Blue Project, which is designed to secure Nigerian waters up to the Gulf of Guinea. I am happy to inform Nigerians that we have taken delivery of key assets for this project and very soon, its impact will be felt.

21. In the North East region alone, over eight thousand Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered.

22. To support our surge approach to fighting banditry, the Nigerian Armed Forces have recruited over 17,000 personnel across all ranks. Furthermore, I have also approved for the Nigerian Police Force to recruit 10,000 police officers annually over the next six years.

23. I am also pleased to note that most of the Air Force platforms we acquired over the past three years have started to arrive in Nigeria. These will positively impact our security operations in all parts of the country.

24. In line with section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the security and welfare of Nigerians continue to be the prime focus on which programmes and projects of our government revolves.

25. Therefore, as a Government, we are ready to arrest and prosecute all persons inciting violence through words or action. Our resolve for a peaceful, united and one Nigeria remains resolute and unwavering.

26. That said, our hope is not to fight for peace. We can always settle our grievances peacefully without spilling any blood.

27. I will therefore take this opportunity, on this special day that symbolises the unity and oneness of our great nation, to ask all Nigerians to embrace peace and dialogue, whatever your grievances.

28. The seeds of violence are planted in people’s heads through words. Reckless utterances of a few have led to losses of many innocent lives and destruction of properties.

29. Such unfiltered and unsubstantiated lies and hate speeches by a few evil persons must be stopped. Our media houses and commentators must move away from just reporting irresponsible remarks to investigating the truth behind all statements and presenting the facts to readers.

30. We must all come out and speak against the lies being peddled. At this point, I would want to sincerely appreciate the large number of our Traditional, Religious and Community leaders as well as other well-meaning Nigerians who, in their various fora are openly spreading the message of peaceful co-existence and conflict settlement through dialogue in their respective communities.

31. Nigeria is for all of us. Its unity is not negotiable. And its ultimate success can only be achieved if we all come together with a common goal of having peace and prosperity for our nation.

32. We shall continue to work on dialogue based solutions to address legitimate grievances. But we remain ready to take decisive actions against secessionist agitators and their sponsors who threaten our national security.

33. The recent arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, and the ongoing investigations being conducted have revealed certain high-profile financiers behind these individuals. We are vigorously pursuing these financiers including one identified as a serving member of the national assembly.

34. This is a clear example of how people abandon their national leadership positions for their selfish gains. Instead of preaching unity, they are funding and misleading our youth to conduct criminal acts that sometimes lead to unfortunate and unnecessary loss of lives and property.

35. As the so-called leaders run abroad to hide, our innocent youths are misled and left in the streets to fight for their senseless and destructive causes.

36. Government will continue, with greater level of peoples’ participation and in collaboration with our international partners, to improve the security architecture, reduce enabling environment for criminality to thrive and eliminate opportunities for terrorism financing.

37. Fellow Nigerians, our unrelenting effort at resolving an almost two-decade stalling on the management of our Petroleum resources and ensuring equitable consideration to our host communities has resulted in the enactment of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021.

38. This Act not only overhauls the Institutional, regulatory and fiscal framework of the Petroleum Industry but also reduces the previous opacity associated with this sector.

39. This is the first step to the reforms as the process is a continuous one. Already, to further improve the governance framework, I have sought for an amendment of sections 11(2)(b) and 34(2)(b). We will also continue to review and amend as appropriate.

40. At this juncture, it is very appropriate that I salute the leadership and members of the Ninth Assembly for their patriotism, dedication to duty, candour and most importantly the dispatch with which they have enacted legacy legislations for this nation. I do not take such level of cooperation for granted and hope it continues for the overall efficiency of the Federal machinery.

41. Nigeria’s Roadmap on Local Refining is on track with the Commissioning of a Modular refinery in Imo State.

42. A second is scheduled for commissioning by the end of this year in Edo State and the third one in Bayelsa State by 2022.

43. In addition to the modular projects, we also have the two mega refinery projects coming up in Lagos and Akwa Ibom States.

44. As these refineries are commissioned, more employment opportunities are created and there would be increased petroleum products available for local consumption which will significantly reduce our reliance on importation.

45. In further demonstrating our plan to reduce our dependence on oil and tapping from our enormous gas resources, this administration remains committed to the “Decade of Gas” Initiative, which is aimed at bringing to focus the utilization of our huge gas resources.

46. Already, we are supporting and promoting various gas-based projects including NLNG Train 7 and the mega urea and ammonia projects in the South-South region.

47. As we continue to optimise and enhance our oil and gas sector, I am also proud and delighted to state that our economic diversification strategy remains on course with the persistent increase in Non-Oil Sector contribution to GDP.

48. We recovered from economic recession in quarter four of 2020 with a GDP growth rate of 0.11%, and grew by 0.51% and 5.01% in real terms in the first and second quarters of 2021.

49. The Agricultural sector remains key to our economic diversification efforts as the sector has been a consistent driver of the non-oil sector contributing 22.35% and 23.78% to the overall GDP in the first and second quarter of 2021.

50. We have seen significant private sector investments in almost all areas of the agricultural value chain. And these have continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

51. Unfortunately, as our food production capacity has increased, food prices have been going up due to artificial shortages created by middlemen who have been buying and hoarding these essential commodities for profiteering.

52. To address this, I am hereby directing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to rehabilitate the National Food Reserve Agency and also work with security agencies, the Nigerian Commodity Exchange, and the National Assembly to find a lasting solution to these disruptive and unpatriotic hoarding activities.

53. To further enhance food production, we have completed several new dams and are in the process of rehabilitating several River Basin Development Authorities to enhance ground water supply for rainfed agriculture as well as surface water for irrigation agriculture.

54. The water projects we completed between 2015 to 2020 have improved Nigerian’s access to potable water to 71% between 2015 and 2020. This means 12.5 million additional Nigerians now have direct access to potable water.

55. This Government remains concerned by the significant transportation infrastructure deficit we have. Addressing the challenges our commuters and lorry drivers face on the motorways is still a high priority to us.

56. To complement our budgetary allocations, the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund and the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, we recently established a N15trillion Infrastructural Corporation of Nigeria Limited (INFRACO), which is expected to begin operation by the fourth quarter of this year.

57. INFRACO will also focus on leveraging resources on a public-private sector basis for infrastructural development in Nigeria.

58. We hope through these innovative programs, the additional cost burden on individuals and businesses because of inefficient logistics operations will be reduced and ultimately, eliminated.

59. We currently have over 13,000 kilometres of roads and bridges under construction all over the country of which a fair percentage have been completed.

60. As we fix our roads, we also continue to extend and upgrade Nigeria’s railway network with the notable opening of the Warri- Itakpe standard gauge rail line.

61. To increase capacity, we have introduced more locomotives, coaches and wagons including the establishment of a Wagon Assembly in Kajola, Ogun State.

62. The sea ports however still remain problematic. The effect of our various interventions to reduce the gridlocks and inefficiencies have been slower than expected.

63. However, the implementation of the Electronic Call-Up System as well as the conversion of the Lillypond Container Terminal to a Vehicle Transit Area will further enhance the ease of cargo evacuation.

64. Our prioritisation of developing Nigeria’s Digital Economy has positively impacted the contribution of the ICT sector to our GDP.

65. We hope our present efforts to ensure all Nigerians use a National Identification Number as well as our planned roll-out of the fifth generation (5G) network technology will ensure we stay in line with the global innovation curve as a Nation.

66. As we embrace the digital economy in Nigeria, we are fully aware of the prospects and the perils. Our policies have been developed to enable Nigerians to take advantage of the prospects and avoid the perils of digital technologies.

67. Social media is a very useful platform that has enabled millions of Nigerians to connect with loved ones, promote their businesses, socialise, and access news and other information.

68. However, recent events have shown that the platform is not just an innocuous platform for information dissemination.

69. Rather some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments.

70. To address these negative trends, the Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria on June 5, 2021 to allow the Government put measures in place to address these challenges.

71. Following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. reached out to the Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the impasse. Subsequently, I constituted a Presidential Committee to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue.

72. The Committee, along with its Technical Team, has engaged with Twitter and have addressed a number of key issues. These are:

a. National Security and Cohesion;

b. Registration, Physical presence and Representation;

c. Fair Taxation;

d. Dispute Resolution; and

e. Local Content.

73. Following the extensive engagements, the issues are being addressed and I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.

74. As a country, we are committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of our citizens, respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.

75. Nigeria’s progressive diplomacy continues to manifest through growing numbers of highly placed Nigerians in positions of regional and global influences. Very recently, Nigeria won election for the position of Commissioner for the expanded Political, Peace and Security Affairs of the African Union.

76. Our persistent calls for a reorganized and reformed ECOWAS, to make the organization citizens-sensitive, paid off with the acceptance by the Authority of Heads of State and Governments of ECOWAS to commence the agreed reforms in the organization ahead of the next elections of the organization’s principal officers in December this year.

77. At the African Development Bank, World Trade Organization and indeed, the United Nations, footprints of Nigeria’s Diplomacy are clearly evident.

78. We remain confident that our goal of lifting 100million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years is achievable.

79. Considering the positive impact of our Social Investment Programs, I recently approved an increase in the number of N-Power program beneficiaries from 500,000 to 1,000,000.

80. Out of this, 510,000 have started the programme while the competitive selection process for onboarding the outstanding 490,000 beneficiaries is in progress.

81. The National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme is currently being implemented in 35 States of the Federation and the FCT. Over 103,000 women have been engaged and empowered as cooks under the programme, while about 10 million pupils are being fed across public primary schools in the country.

82. To grant increased access to credit to the most poor and vulnerable, I have directed an increase in the disbursement of Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme loans to an additional one million beneficiaries laying more emphasis on the smallholding farmers through the farmers Moni program.

83. For far too long we have neglected the centrality of the civil service as the engine of governance and this has manifested in ineffective service delivery.

84. There is widespread discontent and disillusion about the efficiency and probity of our civil service.

85. It is for this reason that we are refocusing the Nigerian Civil Service to provide World class service to run our country.

86. The youths of this great country remain propellants for our today and provide guarantees that we would have a secure tomorrow.

87. It is for this reason that I remain focused on expanding opportunities for their participation in politics and governance.

88. Recent appointments of young people into positions of authority and their track record so far, gives me confidence that we need to bring more of them into governance and this I promise to do.

89. More specifically, to encourage Girl-Child Education, female scholarship schemes, life skills and digital literacy skills to boost girl’s enrolment, retention and completion of schooling, are all initiatives put in place to ensure gender balance in appropriately positioning our youths for positions of leadership.

90. The commitment of this Administration to the well-being of people living with disabilities remains unwavering.

91. Government recognises their contributions to development and I have, in this regard, directed that all relevant Government Agencies pay special attention to the peculiarities of different abilities in the implementation of policies and programmes.

92. Rape and Gender Based Violence remains a sore point in our Nation as in many countries worldwide and this was worsened during and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

93. We are currently engaging Heads of Courts to establish Specialised Courts for the speedy and seamless trial of Rape/Gender-Based offences especially to ensure that justice is done for child victims of sexual violence.

94. On the other hand, work has advanced in the reformation, reintegration and reunification of Minors involved in one crime or the other.

95. The reformation in our Correctional Services has manifested in an increase in modernised custodial centres and a transformation from strictly punitive to attitudinal changes so that criminals do not relapse into their previous lifestyle.

96. As we begin to celebrate our sixty one years as a Nation, we need to be conscious that Nigeria does not start and end with the Federal Government. This country is a great collective where Government at all arms and levels as well as the private sector, and more importantly individuals, have a role to play.

97. In particular, security is a bottom to top undertaking. Joining hands and hearts together would enable us to secure ourselves and our country.

98. I fully understand the anxiety of many Nigerians on the inability of this country to go beyond a never-ending potential for becoming a great nation to an actually great one.

99. A lot has been achieved in the last six years on many fronts: in infrastructure, social care, governance, Nigeria’s image and influence in Africa and the international community.

100. But critics misdiagnose incremental progress as stagnation. Since coming to power, this Administration has tackled our problems head-on in spite of the meagre resources. No government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track.

101. We shall continue to serve the country: listen to all and protect our democracy and country.

Thank you all and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Previous Post Discover Nigeria: PMB to Unveil Book, Highlighting Beauty, Uniqueness of Country's Tourism Potentials

Next Post Generational Challenges Have Generational Solutions - Osinbajo

• About the Ministry
• Honourable Minister
• Permanent Secretary
• Human Resource Management
• Public Communication & National Orientation
• Information Technology
• Press, Public Relations & Protocol
• Production, Publication and Documentation
• Federal Government Press
• National Archives of Nigeria
• Finance & Accounts
• Procurement
• Cultural Industries & Heritage
• International Cultural Relations
• Entertainment & Creative Service
• International Tourism, Promotions & Co-operations
• Domestic and Eco-Tourism Promotion and Control
• Planning, Budget, Research & Statistics
• General Services
• Reforms Co-ordination & Services Improvement
• Legal Services
• Photo Galleria
• Video Galleria
• FEC Resolutions
• Latest News
• Entertainment
• Radio Nigeria News
• Voice of Nigeria
• News Agency of Nigeria
• Operational Centres
• National Orientation

Musawa Set to Unveil New Initiatives at 54th Art, Culture, and Creative Economy Summit on Monday

Nigeria elected chairman of the african regional institute council, at governor kefas’ daughter, igp son’s weddings, the bond between me and the people of jigawa is unwavering-defence minister, ohcsf holds management retreat to reinvigorate the office for a more dynamic service delivery, ayuba gufwan assures voice of disabilities initiative (vdi) of improved working relationship with the commission, president tinubu: i’ll do all within my powers to equip, arm the military, paris 2024: nigeria’s paralympics got a morale booster, as federal government announces improved bonuses, matawalle describes the heartless murder of the district head of gatawa as heinous, barbaric and abominable, directs the military to go after the killers, badaru condemns killing of district head of gatawa, calls for immediate arrest of perpetrators.

• Today in Nigeria's history

Nigeria’s Independence Day

1 October 1960: On this particular day and month in 1960, the nation, acclaimed to be the ‘giant of Africa,’ got her independence from the British Colony. The British Union Jack was lowered and replaced by the nation’s Green-white-green flag, and with the independence, a new constitution, establishing a federal system with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state was established. From then, Nigerians took over the reigns of leadership from foreigners.

Recognising the country’s particular multi-ethnic configuration or diversity, the British government had established for Nigeria a federal structure of government, with three regions. Each of the three regions had its own constitution and a good measure of autonomy while there was a fairly weak Federal Government at the centre. The three regions were the Eastern Region, Northern Region and Western Region.

Today, Nigeria is 58 years! Hurray!!!

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

1979 October 1: Alhaji Shehu Shagari was sworn in as president.

May 29th in Nigeria’s history

The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation serves as the Federal outfit responsible for the dissemination of essential and vital information which will enhance and facilitate democratic governance of Nigeria as a Federal Republic.

You can reach the ministry via our contact page – to drop us a message. Thanks

Government Agencies

• Bureau Of Public Enterprises
• Central Bank of Nigeria
• Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)
• Department Of Petroleum Resources
• Federal Capital Territory Administration
• Federal Civil Service Commission
• Federal Ministry of Finance
• Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federaltion
• Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation
• Bureau of Public Service Reforms

Information Agencies

• Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria
• National Broadcasting Commission
• Advertising Practitioners Council Of Nigeria
• News Agency Of Nigeria
• Nigerian Press Council
• Nigeria Television Authority
• Voice Of Nigeria

Culture & Tourism

• National Commission for Museum and Monuments
• National Council for Arts And Culture
• National Gallery of Art
• National Institute for Cultural Orientation
• National Orientation Agency
• Nigerian Institute for Hospitality and Tourism
• National Theatre
• National Troupe of Nigeria
• Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation
• Center for Black African Arts and Culture

News Agencies

• Business Day
• The Punch Newspapers
• Daily Trust
• Independent Newspapers
• Nigerian Tribune
• Privacy Policy

Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation 2023. All Rights Reserved.

WE ARE SOCIAL

Nigeria at 63: four reasons for persistent disunity six decades on

Research associate, Curtin University

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Lakehead University

Disclosure statement

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Curtin University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

At 63 the story of Nigeria can be anything from the “celebration of greatness to an act of barbaric cruelty”. These are the words of Nigerian writer Dipo Faloyin in his book Africa Is Not a Country .

Nigeria attained its independence from Britain on 1 October 1960 . Nearly half a century earlier, in 1914, the British amalgamated the Northern and Southern British protectorates into the Nigerian Federation. For many — including the Nigerian independence leader Chief Obafémi Awólòwò , in his book Path to Nigerian Freedom – the country that emerged from this amalgamation was “a mere geographical expression”.

Since independence, Nigeria has made deliberate attempts to knit a cohesive nation from this legacy of division. This has included measures such as power sharing arrangements , the creation of the National Youth Service Corps , as well as its vibrant cultural expressions through food, sports, and literature.

But there have also been missed opportunities at unity due to leadership failures on the part of successive Nigerian governments. In the end, as research shows , divisions persist. These often overshadow the country’s achievements.

We are political scientists and researchers with published works at the intersection of politics, culture, and society and the international politics of Africa.

We offer four reasons why Nigeria remains divided. We identified these as ethnic and religious division, economic disparities, identity and lack of nation building.

Most nations have been crafted out of disparate cultures. According to the Irish political scientist and historian, Benedict Anderson , all nations are imagined .

However, our observation is that the first reason for persistent disunity in Nigeria is the depth of ethnic and religious division.

Ethnic and religious division: This must be placed in the context of colonial mapping and plunder of material and cultural resources .

This came about from cobbling together starkly different cultures, lands and peoples. Before colonialism, what is now called Nigeria was peopled by different kingdoms and empires . These ranged from the Hausa states and Kanem-Bornu empire in the north, the Jukun states in the north central region, to Yoruba states in the south west, and Igboland and Delta City-states in the south.

The arbitrary borders drawn by the British during colonisation bundled together these numerous ethnicities and peoples without regard for their historical, cultural or socio-political differences.

Britain ruled Nigeria for close to 80 years. The Crown governed through what was called indirect rule . This allowed the colonial administration to govern from a distance. It delegated local administration to traditional authorities and native institutions.

Nigeria is home to over 300 ethnic groups – the Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani are the major ones. Each group has its own language, culture, and traditions.

Nigeria is also divided along religious lines . It is predominantly Muslim in the North and Christian in the South. Indigenous religions are spread across the country, with some experiencing no dualism between these spiritualities. Indeed, this non-binary spiritual disposition was what made the Christian and Arab missionaries successful in Africa.

Economic disparities : The British Crown governed its conquered colonial territories through different systems of authority. Over time, these translated into different levels of economic development.

In the north, the colonial government relied on existing political structures of “centralised governing systems with a reputation for their bureaucratic, administrative, and judicial institutions” – mainly relics of the Sokoto Islamic Caliphate in the region.

In the South, however, the colonial administration revolved around artificially created authorities. These were usually in the form of warrant chiefs – a native leader whose legitimacy was based on a warrant issued by the colonial government rather than on the people’s culture and custom.

These different governance systems were allowed significant autonomy under the colonial system of indirect rule. Different levels of economic development began to emerge, which in turn created economic disparities. For instance, northern Nigeria has the highest concentration of less economically empowered states, communities and peoples.

Identity: As we have argued elsewhere , Nigeria was conceived by the colonial government as a business enterprise corporation, not as a nation. As one scholar pointed out , British rule also promoted the ideas of ‘the “North for Northerners,” “East for Easterners,” and “West for Westerners” within Nigeria.

Independence promised a new Nigeria that benefited all Nigerians. But the country failed to savour the “independence” moment. Nigerian leaders who took over wasted the opportunities offered by the gains of independence to dismantle the inherited colonial fissures of their societies.

Leaders such as the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello , Chief Obafémi Awólòwò and Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe rose to champion the cause of their respective ‘ethno-regions’. They became guilty of Frantz Fanon’s charge of the pitfall of the nation being passed over for the race, and the tribe being preferred to the state.

This was to translate into a series of coups and conflicts, including the civil war of 1967 in which about a million people died.

We have argued that the failure to savour the independence moment makes Nigeria – not just the colonial administration – complicit in its identity crises. We also acknowledge how ground-level activists and people across the different divides shape the country’s future through everyday expressions of nationhood. Nigerians are intermarrying. They’re doing business together. And they often express a general sense of pride and unity in the country’s food, sports, music and movies.

Lack of nation building: Some scholars agree that nation building requires state building. Nation unity, therefore, comes on the heels of effective action being taken by the state. But that’s not how Nigerians experience their government. For them, the state doesn’t exist behind rituals of statehood.

In the state’s absence, citizens resort to what they have – their identities – as tools for survival. This further widens ethnic fault lines and creates new ones.

A lack of investment in the infrastructures of the state has also created deplorable conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

The outcome of using identities for political scores and advantage? The proliferation of conflicts and violent clashes.

Moving forward

At the everyday level, Nigerians should focus on advancing and celebrating their soft cultural resources. These include comedy, sport, food, music, movies, and a general sense of hope and positive interaction. We argue that this ground-level, soft but courageous and clear-minded activism has the potential to restore hope in the nation. It could even achieve more.

For its part, the Nigerian state must open its doors to the people, and address their economic hardships and insecurity. If this doesn’t happen the danger is that Nigerians will abandon democratic ways and turn to violence, as we are witnessing across West Africa and the Sahel .

• Colonialism
• Nation building
• Postcolonial Africa
• ethnic clashes
• Nigeria independence
• Religious identity

Administration and Events Assistant

Head of Evidence to Action

Supply Chain - Assistant/Associate Professor (Tenure-Track)

OzGrav Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Casual Facilitator: GERRIC Student Programs - Arts, Design and Architecture

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction & Quick Facts
• Plant and animal life
• Ethnic groups
• Central region
• Rural settlement
• Urban settlement
• Demographic trends
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
• Resources and power
• Manufacturing
• Labour and taxation
• Shipping and air transport
• Telecommunications
• Constitutional framework
• Local government
• Political process
• Health and welfare
• Cultural milieu
• Daily life and social customs
• Cultural institutions
• Sports and recreation
• Media and publishing
• The Nok culture
• Kanem-Borno
• Yorubaland and Benin
• Igboland and the delta city-states
• The Sokoto jihad
• The collapse of Oyo
• The arrival of the British
• Nigeria as a colony

The civil war

The second republic.

• Military regimes, 1983–99
• The 1999 elections
• Domestic unrest and insecurity
• Bakassi Peninsula dispute
• Controversies surrounding the 2007 presidential election
• Yar’Adua’s ill health
• The 2011 elections
• Rise of Boko Haram
• The 2015 elections and electorate concerns
• Recession, fight against corruption, and insecurity
• The 2019 elections
• The 2023 elections

Independent Nigeria

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• GlobalSecurity.org - Nigeria
• Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Nigeria
• Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Seoul, South Korea
• Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Germany
• Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Vienna
• National Geographic Kids - Countries - Nigeria
• Official Site of the Embassy of Nigeria in Stockholm, Sweden
• Country Studies - Nigeria
• Nigeria - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Nigeria - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

Nigeria was granted independence on October 1, 1960. A new constitution established a federal system with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state. The NCNC, now headed by Azikiwe (who had taken control after Macaulay’s death in 1946), formed a coalition with Balewa’s NPC after neither party won a majority in the 1959 elections. Balewa continued to serve as the prime minister, a position he had held since 1957, while Azikiwe took the largely ceremonial position of president of the Senate. Following a UN-supervised referendum , the northern part of the Trust Territory of the Cameroons joined the Northern region in June 1961, while in October the Southern Cameroons united with Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon . On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a republic. Azikiwe became president of the country , although as prime minister Balewa was still more powerful.

Recent News

After a brief honeymoon period, Nigeria’s long-standing regional stresses, caused by ethnic competitiveness, educational inequality, and economic imbalance, again came to the fore in the controversial census of 1962–63. In an attempt to stave off ethnic conflict , the Mid-West region was created in August 1963 by dividing the Western region. Despite this division, the country still was segmented into three large geographic regions, each of which was essentially controlled by an ethnic group: the west by the Yoruba , the east by the Igbo , and the north by the Hausa-Fulani. Conflicts were endemic , as regional leaders protected their privileges; the south complained of northern domination, and the north feared that the southern elite was bent on capturing power. In the west the government had fallen apart in 1962, and a boycott of the federal election of December 1964 brought the country to the brink of breakdown. The point of no return was reached in January 1966, when, after the collapse of order in the west following the fraudulent election of October 1965, a group of army officers attempted to overthrow the federal government, and Prime Minister Balewa and two of the regional premiers were murdered. A military administration was set up under Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi , but his plan to abolish the regions and impose a unitary government met with anti-Igbo riots in the north. The military intervention worsened the political situation, as the army itself split along ethnic lines, its officers clashed over power, and the instigators and leaders of the January coup were accused of favouring Igbo domination. In July 1966 northern officers staged a countercoup, Aguiyi-Ironsi was assassinated, and Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Yakubu Gowon came to power. The crisis was compounded by intercommunal clashes in the north and threats of secession in the south.

Gowon’s attempt to hold a conference to settle the constitutional future of Nigeria was abandoned after a series of ethnic massacres in October. A last-ditch effort to save the country was made in January 1967, when the Eastern delegation, led by Lieut. Col. (later Gen.) Odumegwu Ojukwu , agreed to meet the others on neutral ground at Aburi, Ghana , but the situation deteriorated after differences developed over the interpretation of the accord. In May the Eastern region’s consultative assembly authorized Ojukwu to establish a sovereign republic, while, at the same time, the federal military government promulgated a decree dividing the four regions into 12 states, including 6 in the north and 3 in the east, in an attempt to break the power of the regions.

On May 30, 1967, Ojukwu declared the secession of the three states of the Eastern region under the name of the Republic of Biafra , which the federal government interpreted as an act of rebellion. Fighting broke out in early July and within weeks had escalated into a full-scale civil war . In August Biafran troops crossed the Niger , seized Benin City , and were well on their way to Lagos before they were checked at Ore, a small town in Western state (now Ondo state). Shortly thereafter, federal troops entered Enugu , the provisional capital of Biafra, and penetrated the Igbo heartland. The next two years were marked by stiff resistance in the shrinking Biafran enclave and by heavy casualties among civilians as well as in both armies, all set within what threatened to be a military stalemate. Peacemaking attempts by the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union ) remained ineffective, while Biafra began earning recognition from African states and securing aid from international organizations for what was by then a starving population.

The final Biafran collapse began on December 24, 1969, when federal troops launched a massive effort at a time when Biafra was short on ammunition, its people were desperate for food, and its leaders controlled only one-sixth of the territory that had formed the Biafran republic in 1967. Ojukwu fled to Côte d’Ivoire on January 11, 1970, and a Biafran deputation formally surrendered in Lagos four days later.

General Gowon was able, through his own personal magnetism, to reconcile the two sides so that the former Biafran states were integrated into the country once again and were not blamed for the war. The oil boom that followed the war allowed the federal government to finance development programs and consolidate its power. In 1974 Gowon postponed until 1976 the target date for a return to civilian rule, but he was overthrown in July 1975 and fled to Great Britain . The new head of state, Brig. Gen. Murtala Ramat Mohammed , initiated many changes during his brief time in office: he began the process of moving the federal capital to Abuja , addressed the issue of government inefficiency, and, most important, initiated the process for a return to civilian rule. He was assassinated in February 1976 during an unsuccessful coup attempt, and his top aide, Lieut. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo , became head of the government.

Obasanjo pursued Mohammed’s desire to return the country to civilian rule. As a first step, a new constitution was promulgated that replaced the British-style parliamentary system with a presidential one. The president was invested with greater power but could assume office only after winning one-fourth of the votes in two-thirds of the states in the federation.

Many political parties emerged, but only five were registered: the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the Unity Party of Nigeria, the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), the Great Nigeria People’s Party, and the Nigeria People’s Party. All promised to improve education and social services, provide welfare, rebuild the economy and support private industry, and pursue a radical, anti-imperialist foreign policy . The PRP was notable for expressing socialist ideas and rhetoric . Shehu Shagari , the candidate of the dominant party, the right-wing NPN, narrowly won the 1979 presidential election, defeating Chief Obafemi Awolowo .

The NPN’s party leaders used political power as an opportunity to gain access to public treasuries and distribute privileges to their followers. Members of the public were angry, and many openly challenged the relevance of a democracy that could not produce leaders who would improve their lives and provide moral authority. Even in this climate, however, Shagari was reelected president in August–September 1983, although his landslide victory was attributed to gross voting irregularities. Shagari was not able to manage the political crisis that followed or to end Nigeria’s continuing economic decline, and the military seized the opportunity to stage a coup on December 31, 1983, that brought Maj. Gen. Muhammad Buhari to power.

Rethinking Nigerian Independence Day: A Call for Progress

The 60-year celebration of Nigerian independence Day in 2020 is the celebration of faux independence as Nigeria has yet to fully emancipate herself from the shackles of slavery. This slavery, however, isn’t overt but covert, it isn’t manifest but subliminal. Hitherto gaining independence in 1960, the slavery was manifest. However, the contemporary form of slavery is reflective in the abysmal display of patriotism on all fronts and regards.

Colonization of Nigeria

If, in 60 years of existence as an independent nation, Nigeria has yet to confidently boast of policies that favor her citizens and can only boast of policies copied from her colonizer ‘s hook, line and sinker, then, what independence is there to celebrate? If we have yet to absolve plagues like ethnic rivalry, corruption, proliferation of theft, among other issues, then, there calls for a recourse in our actions, there calls for a pictorial representation of the kind of Nigeria we want and deserve; maybe that way, we would be able to plan towards the actualization of our dream Nigeria.  

Celebrating Creativity and Innovation on Nigerian Independence Day

As a millennial, the first archetype I nurse is a Nigeria that appreciates creativity and innovation; there is no gain saying in that we are a people blessed with talents, innovative and creative abilities, clarity of vision, resilience, among other virtues.

Seeking Government Stability on Nigerian Independence Day

Second, a Nigeria that is controlled by leaders who nurse a burning desire for recourse and restitution is what I desire. Young minds like myself have, over the years, witnessed so many transitions in government but these transitions influence nothing, there is a continuum of hunger and pain despite the transitions.

Striving for Peace on Nigerian Independence Day

Also, a peaceful Nigeria is everything; a Nigeria devoid of violence, one where insurgency is a word found in the pages of history not on the daily newspapers, one where safety of lives and properties is guaranteed. I am honestly tired of embodying fear in the crevices of my body, fear of being kidnapped, fear of leaving home whole and getting back unwhole, fear of losing all I’ve gathered as properties to the hands of thieves or the hands of ruins because this fear cripples the creativity of young minds like myself and this conversely affects our individual contribution to the development of the country.

Collaboration in Nigeria

I want a Nigeria that can boast of being a giant, a Nigeria that isn’t a phony or paperish giant but one that is living up to the giant tag by being the cheerleader of progress and development on the continent. A Nigeria that is clever in her use of raw materials, one that wouldn’t be exporting crude oil to other countries and rebuy. 

Final Thoughts on Nigerian Independence Day

Until the above Nigeria is actuated, we would continue celebrating decades of independence without knowing that we are still enslaved in regards stated above; intellectual slavery, financial slavery, mental slavery and even developmental crippling. Until we have a structured model out in place to actualize the kind of Nigeria stated above, I am afraid we shouldn’t be celebrating independence. And, we need not wait any further, for the future, is now. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Nigerian Independence Day

What is nigerian independence day, why is october 1st celebrated as nigerian independence day.

Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960. This date is celebrated annually as Nigerian Independence Day to mark the country’s sovereignty.

How is Nigerian Independence Day celebrated?

What significance does nigerian independence day hold for the country, are there specific traditions associated with nigerian independence day celebrations.

Celebrations often include traditional dances, music performances, and cultural exhibitions that highlight Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups. Additionally, there may be events showcasing the nation’s history and achievements.

Do Nigerians living abroad participate in Independence Day celebrations?

Yes, Nigerians living abroad often participate in Independence Day celebrations. Embassies, cultural organizations, and Nigerian communities around the world may organize events to mark the occasion.

What role does the President of Nigeria play on Independence Day?

Are there specific symbols associated with nigerian independence day.

The Nigerian flag, which consists of two green vertical bands on the edges and a white vertical band in the middle, is a significant symbol. Additionally, the national anthem and the coat of arms are emblematic elements during Independence Day celebrations.

Adamu Usman Garko

You might also like, the burgeoning digital gender divide in india, 10 popular concepts in sociology: understanding the foundations of human society, celebrating international mother language day worldwide, sociology of youth: celebrating children’s day, sociology and small business: skills and knowledge for success, human trafficking and the united states military.

Global site navigation

• Celebrity biographies
• Messages - Wishes - Quotes
• TV-shows and movies
• Fashion and style
• Capital Market
• Celebrities
• Family and Relationships

Local editions

• Legit Nigeria News
• Legit Hausa News
• Legit Spanish News
• Legit French News

Nigerian Independence day history: top facts

When the Independence Day of Nigeria comes, the whole country celebrates it. 58 years ago, Nigeria gained independence from the colonial government and finally became a free state. However, the journey towards this freedom was long and every Nigerian should know about it.

Nigerian Independence day history in brief

Just as many other countries of the African continent, Nigeria experienced many years of colonial regime of European countries. Due to the specific features of the African technical and cultural development, most tribes could not oppose Europeans with their guns, war ships and other weapons. This is why the locals were eventually subdued by white colonial powers quite easily.

READ ALSO: When was Nigeria amalgamated and by who?

Colonization on the continent brought many cultural effects. Local religions, traditions and culture were oppressed and replaced by European ones.

No wonder that one day local tribes started to think of freedom. Actually, the very first day of the colonization was the beginning of the rebellion. It grew for many years until there appeared strong spirits who were able to lead others and conduct the struggle for freedom.

Lai Mohammed: Increase in electricity, fuel prices will benefit ordinary Nigerians later

Somewhere between 1922 and 1959 Nigerians began to agitate for freedom after so many years of the British rule. Some famous and courageous men started struggling for the awakening of the Nigerian national spirit. It was an unexpected turn for the British colonists and they started to think about the ways of regaining control over the colonized lands.

For instance, they created several new constitutions that were supposed to calm down people’s rebellious moods. However, all these steps were not effective enough to make people forget about their life under the colonial rule and calm down their intention to have freedom.

On October 27, 1958, the United Kingdom came to a conclusion that it would be better for Nigeria to become an independent state. At midnight on October 1960, Nigeria became independent and a new flag was created to replace the Union Jack. The national anthem was changed, too. “God Save the Queen” was no longer welcomed. It was replaced with “Nigeria We Hail Thee.”

60 prominent Nigerians to be honoured at Nigeria's 60th anniversary celebration

The new rule after Nigeria independence

READ ALSO: Nigerian heroes and their contributions

The first Prime Minister after the Independence of Nigeria was Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. In 1963, when Nigeria was declared a republic, the new President was Nnamdi Azikiwe, previously a Governor General. Jaja Wachuku was the first African to be the speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives. Simultaneously, he received the Freedom Charter – the famous Nigerian Instrument of Independence.

Nigeria independence history

The history of pre-colonial Nigeria dates back to 11,000 BC and there’s a hypothesis that some settlements were created even earlier. The pre-historic tribes developed in their own way, gradually forming up the current ethnic groups, which can be met in Nigeria today.

Before the British came and colonized the land, there were several independent kingdoms and states. They lived as neighbors up to the moment when Europeans came and started to reconstruct everything to meet their demands and to rearrange life, as they wanted it to be.

REPORT: How COVID-19 increased child labour in Lagos state (parents, children share experiences)

Before the British arrived, even in 1600’s, the coastal Nigerian areas used to trade with Europeans. They sold people (as slaves to be taken to America) and when slavery was abolished, they started trading palm oil and other goods for the goods and products brought by Europeans. Yet, it soon ended because British people started to conquer the ancient lands and establish their rules.

In 1851, Lagos was taken and turned into a colony by 1861. In 1884, Calabar became the protectorate capital and remained up to 1906. In 1897, the Empire of Benin collapsed, too, and also turned into a colony.

On January 1, 1901, all the lands that were already under the protectorate of the British Empire were joined into several colonies: the Colony of Lagos, the Niger Coast, and the Northern Protectorate. For further simplicity, the Colony of Lagos and Niger Coast were amalgamated in 1914.

Facts about the ancient walls of Benin which are longer than Great China Wall and how the British destroyed them (photos)

This is how the Nigeria of today was created. The name was coined in 1897 by Flora Shaw. She just took the name of the biggest river in the area and created a name for the new country.

Nigeria Independence Day celebrations

The Independence Day is an official holiday for the entire country and all the existing 36 states of Nigeria celebrate it. As a rule, everything starts with the live broadcast of the President’s speech dedicated to all the citizens. The President's speech, is usually followed by the armed forces parade.

Everybody remembers those who dedicated their lives and efforts to Independence and honors the memory of the dead.

Since there are many ethnic and cultural events during the celebrations, the holiday is also a perfect time to do some cultural exchange between the representatives of different ethnic groups. After all, it helps people feel that they are united, that they are the same strong, rich nation, which is on its way to further development.

A famine is imminent - Former Army chief sends crucial warning to Buhari to end killings

READ ALSO: Reasons for the adoption of federalism in Nigeria

Source : aglobalworld.com

Source: Legit.ng

Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: [email protected]

Nigeria Independence Day and its Significance

OV Digital Desk

September 30, 2023

Independence Day is an official national holiday in Nigeria, celebrated on the 1st of October. It marks Nigeria’s proclamation of independence from British rule on 1 October 1960 .

History of Nigeria Independence Day

Nigeria, a diverse nation with numerous ethnic groups, was subjected to British colonial rule in the late 19th century. The early 20th century saw the emergence of nationalist movements led by figures like Herbert Macaulay and Nnamdi Azikiwe, advocating for greater autonomy and self-determination. World War II heightened the demand for independence, and constitutional reforms such as the Richards Constitution of 1946 and the Macpherson Constitution of 1951 gradually granted Nigerians more self-governance. Negotiations between Nigerian leaders and the British government culminated in full independence on October 1, 1960. Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa became the first Prime Minister, and Nnamdi Azikiwe assumed the ceremonial presidency. Despite challenges, including political instability and economic difficulties, Independence Day remains a momentous occasion symbolizing Nigeria’s emergence as a sovereign nation and its ongoing journey toward addressing complex issues.

Nigeria became a colony of the British Empire through a combination of factors, including exploration, economic interests, and military conquest. Here is a brief overview of how Nigeria became a British colony:

• Early Exploration : The coastal areas of what is now Nigeria were visited by European explorers as early as the 15th century. Portuguese explorers were among the first to arrive in the late 15th century, establishing trade along the coast.
• Transatlantic Slave Trade : During the 17th and 18th centuries, Nigeria’s coastline became a center for the transatlantic slave trade. European powers, including the British, established trading posts and forts along the coast to facilitate the capture and shipment of enslaved Africans to the Americas.
• Abolition of the Slave Trade : In the early 19th century, the British Parliament, driven by abolitionist sentiments, abolished the transatlantic slave trade in 1807. As a result, British interests in Nigeria shifted from the slave trade to legitimate commerce.
• Colonial Expansion : Throughout the 19th century, the British Empire expanded its colonial territories in Africa. British explorers and officials, such as Mungo Park and George Goldie, played crucial roles in establishing British influence and control in the interior regions of what would become Nigeria.
• Conquests and Protectorates : The British engaged in military campaigns and established protectorates over various Nigerian regions, often through treaties with local rulers. Key moments include the establishment of the Niger Coast Protectorate in 1893 and the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates into the single entity of Nigeria in 1914.
• Amalgamation of Nigeria : The amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 was a significant step toward the creation of a single administrative entity under British colonial rule. This brought together the northern and southern regions with their diverse ethnic groups.
• Colonial Administration : Nigeria was administered as a British colony with distinct regions, each governed differently. The colonial period saw the introduction of British legal systems, education, infrastructure, and the exploitation of natural resources.
• Nationalist Movements : As Nigeria developed under British rule, nationalist movements began to emerge in the early 20th century, advocating for greater autonomy and ultimately, independence.

Significance of Nigeria Independence Day

Nigeria Independence Day, celebrated on October 1st, holds immense significance both for the nation and the broader African continent. It marks the moment when Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, emerged from the shackles of British colonial rule in 1960. This event symbolizes the triumph of a people’s enduring struggle for self-determination and sovereignty. Independence Day is a time of reflection on Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity and its unity amidst numerous ethnic groups, languages, and traditions. It serves as a reminder of the nation’s resilience in the face of post-independence challenges, including political instability and economic hardships. Moreover, the celebration underscores Nigeria’s role as a prominent African nation, contributing to the continent’s political, economic, and cultural landscape. It’s a day when Nigerians come together, showcasing their heritage through vibrant parades, cultural displays, and festivities while renewing their commitment to building a more prosperous and unified nation.

Events at Nigeria Independence Day

Nigeria Independence Day, celebrated on October 1st, is marked by a series of events and activities throughout the country. These events serve to commemorate the nation’s independence from British colonial rule in 1960 and celebrate its rich cultural diversity. Here are some of the key events and activities typically observed on Nigeria Independence Day:

• Independence Day Parade : One of the most prominent events is the Independence Day parade, held in the capital city, Abuja, as well as in other major cities across Nigeria. The parade typically includes military processions, cultural displays, and performances by various groups.
• Presidential Address : The President of Nigeria delivers a national address to the nation, reflecting on the country’s achievements, challenges, and future goals. This address is usually broadcasted live on television and radio.
• Cultural Festivals : Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage is celebrated through various cultural festivals and exhibitions. These events showcase traditional dances, music, art, and attire from different ethnic groups across the nation.
• Fireworks Displays : Fireworks are a common feature of Independence Day celebrations, especially in major cities like Lagos and Abuja. These displays light up the night sky, adding to the festive atmosphere.
• Educational Activities : Schools and educational institutions often organize events to educate students about the significance of Independence Day. This may include essay competitions, debates, and cultural performances.
• Community Celebrations : Communities across Nigeria organize their own celebrations, which may include local parades, feasts, and gatherings. These events promote a sense of unity and community spirit.
• Sports and Games : Sporting events and games are organized to engage people of all ages. Football (soccer) is particularly popular, with special matches and tournaments held in honor of Independence Day.
• Charity and Volunteer Work : Some organizations and individuals use Independence Day as an opportunity to engage in charitable activities and volunteer work to give back to the community.
• Civic Engagement : It’s common for Nigerians to use this occasion to reflect on their nation’s progress and challenges and engage in discussions about the future of the country.
• National Awards : The Nigerian government often confers national awards on individuals who have made significant contributions to the country in various fields, such as sports, arts, and sciences.
• Cultural Exhibitions : Museums, art galleries, and cultural centers may host special exhibitions and events to showcase Nigeria’s history, art, and cultural heritage.
• Religious Services : Many Nigerians attend religious services on Independence Day to offer prayers for the nation’s well-being and prosperity.

These events collectively serve to unite Nigerians in celebration of their country’s history and achievements while emphasizing the importance of national unity, cultural diversity, and the continued pursuit of progress and development

Observer Voice is the one stop site for National , International news, news , Editor’s Choice , Art/culture contents, Quotes and much more. We also cover historical contents. Historical contents includes World History , Indian History , and what happened today . The website also covers offbeat news across the India and World.

Follow Us on Twitter , Instagram , Facebook , & LinkedIn

most recent

Khasi Society: India’s largest Matrilineal Society

Matrilineal Societies of India

Kumkum Bhagya Written Update 25th August 2024

Kundali Bhagya Written Update 25th August 2024

Bhagya Lakshmi Written Update 25th August 2024

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai written update 25th August 2024

Anupama Written Update 25th August 2024

PM to visit Maharashtra and Rajasthan on 25th August

Amit Shah Declares Final Phase in Battle Against Left-Wing Extremism

Union Minister Hails PM Modi’s Role in Restoring J&K Peace and Advancing India’s Space Sector

Rajnath Singh Engages US Defence Leaders in Washington

Bhagya Lakshmi written Update 24th August 2024

oBSERVERVOICE

Info@Observervoice. COM

Sector 78, Noida, India

© 2024 OBSERVERVOICE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Full Text of President Buhari’s Independence Day Speech

INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF NIGERIA’S 62ND INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ON 1ST OCTOBER, 2022

Fellow Nigerians,

I address you today, with a deep sense of gratitude to God and a high level of appreciation to all Nigerians whose tremendous goodwill gave me the opportunity to provide leadership for our great country at one of the trying times in her history.

2.​Conscious that today’s address would be my last on an Independence Day as your President; I speak to the millions of Nigerians, who believed in me, propelled and stood by me in my quest to bequeath a country where all citizens have equal opportunities to achieve their lives desires in a peaceful atmosphere.

3.​I am honoured to say that my story in the annals of Nigeria’s history is no household secret. My various attempts, failures and eventual success in being elected as a Democratic President in 2015 was made possible by the majority of Nigerians.

4.​ When you elected me, I readily acknowledged that the tasks before me were daunting but surmountable because of the growing national consensus that our chosen route to national development was democracy.

5.​This democracy was to be anchored on a clear understanding, application and the principles of separation of powers supported by a reformed public service that is more effective.

6.​I then pledged to Improve the Economy, Tackle Corruption and Fight Insecurity and this was further strengthened by my commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years as the central plank of my second term in 2019.

7.​To the Glory of God and His Grace as well as the commitment and passion displayed by many Nigerian supporters, we have made appreciable progress in these areas but not yet at our destination.

8.​Mindful of the task before us, we took some time in settling down and we re-positioned the Economy by providing strategic interventions in core areas at both the Federal and Sub-National levels.

9.​One of the areas where we have made significant progress is in the eradication of deeply entrenched corruption that permeates all facets of our national development.

10.​We strengthened the Institutions for tackling corruption and also cultivated international support, which aided the repatriation of huge sums of money illegally kept outside the country.

11.​The increasing number of prosecutions and convictions, with associated refunds of large sums of money is still ongoing. Furthermore, we would continue to block opportunities that encourage corrupt practices.

12.​In order to address Insecurity, we worked methodically in reducing Insurgency in the North East, Militancy in the Niger Delta, Ethnic and Religious Tensions in some sections of Nigeria along with other problems threatening our country.

13.​Our efforts in re-setting the economy manifested in Nigeria exiting two economic recessions by the very practical and realistic monetary and fiscal measures to ensure effective public financial management. In addition, the effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account and cutting down on the cost of governance also facilitated early exits from recessions.

14.​Fellow Nigerians, this administration removed several decades uncertainty for potential Investors in the Oil & Gas sector with the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021. This landmark legislation created opportunities for foreign investments in addition to improving transparency in the management of the sector.

15.​Our administration has given the desired priority to the Agricultural Sector through a series of incentives to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises that resulted in creating millions of jobs. Leading this initiative, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s intervention in a number of areas as well as the Anchor Borrowers Programme had created the required leverages for Nigerians towards self-sufficiency in food and the necessary attraction for farming as a business.

16.​The growing contribution of non-oil exports, especially in agriculture, information and communication technology as well as the performing arts to our national economy will enhance our foreign exchange earning capacity.

17.​We are confronting current economic challenges such as debt burden, growing inflation, living standards and increasing unemployment accentuated by our growing youthful population. These problems are globally induced and  we would continue to ensure that their negative effects are addressed in our policies.

18.​This administration will continue to ensure that our fiscal policies are supported by a robust and contemporary monetary policy that recognises our peculiarities in the midst of the growing global economic difficulties.

19.​This is evidenced by the recent Monetary Policy Committee decision to maintain all parameters, especially interest rates and marginally increased the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 14% to 15.5% and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) from 27.5% to 32.5%. It is projected that this would further insulate our economy from over exposure to uncertainties at the international market by restraining growth in core inflation.

20.​As we continue to de-escalate the security challenges that confronted us at inception of this administration, newer forms alien to our country began to manifest especially in the areas of kidnappings, molestations/killings of innocent citizens, banditry, all of which are being addressed by our security forces.

21.​I share the pains Nigerians are going through and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition as well as strengthen the security agencies to enable them to deal with all forms of security challenges.

22.​At the inception of this administration in 2015, I provided the funding requirements of the security agencies which was also improved in my second tenure in 2019 to enable them to surmount security challenges. We will continue on this path until our efforts yield the desired results.

23.​ As we put in place all measures to ensure that Nigeria takes her place in the Comity of Nations, we recognize the importance of a well-educated populace as a panacea to most of the challenges we face.

24.​We have, therefore, pursued policies and implemented programmes designed to create a literate and proficient society that ensures that citizens are availed with opportunities for life-long achievements.

25.​I must confess that I am very pained by the recurring disruption to our tertiary education system and I am using this Independence Day celebration to re-iterate my call for the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to return to the classroom while assuring them to deal with their contending issues within the limits of the scarce resources available. This administration has made appreciable progress in redressing these issues that have been lingering for over eleven years.

26.​The Federal Government will continue to mobilize resources both internationally and nationally towards funding education to ensure that our citizens are well educated and skilled in various vocations in view of the fact that education is a leading determinant of economic growth and employment generation.

27.​Fellow Nigerians, we have also improved our health facilities, especially during and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which attracted commendation of the global community.

28.​As you are aware, Nigeria was one of the countries that defied global predictions of the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic because of our resilience, commitment and passion with which we individually and collectively managed the pandemic.

29.​This administration embarked on addressing critical ecological challenges across the country in order to mitigate the impact of Climate Change manifesting in the form of flood, soil erosion, desertification, air pollution amongst others

30.​We will continue to ensure that our infrastructure drive remains the key to Nigeria’s economic growth and for which every Nigerian will feel the impact.

31.​The Federal Government is already expanding ports operations to ensure that they provide opportunities for the growth of the Nigerian economy.

32.​We have also continued to accelerate our infrastructure development through serviceable and transparent borrowing, improved capital inflow & increased revenue generation by expanding the tax bases and prudent management of investment proceeds in the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

33.​To further open up our communities to economic activities, we have continued to boost our railway infrastructure with the completion of a good number of critical railways and at the same time rehabilitating as well as upgrading obsolete equipment.

34.​I am pleased to inform my fellow citizens that besides our emphasis on infrastructural development with its attendant opportunities for job creation, employment generation and subsequent poverty reduction, our focussed intervention directly to Nigerians through the National Social Investment Programme is also yielding benefits.

35.​There is hardly any ward, village or local government in Nigeria today that has not benefited from one of the following: N-Power, trader-moni, market moni, subsidized loans, business grants or Conditional Cash Transfers.

36.​All the aforementioned programmes along with various interventions by the National Social Investment programme, direct support to victims of flooding and other forms of disasters have provided succor to the affected Nigerians.

37.​Fellow Nigerians, no matter what gains we make, without a good governance system anchored on electing credible leaders on the basis of free, fair, credible and transparent elections, our efforts would not be enough.

38.​It is for this reason that I have resolved to bequeath a sustainable democratic culture which will remain lasting. The signing of the Electoral Act 2021 as amended with landmark provisions further assures us of a more transparent and inclusive Electoral Process.

39.​Having witnessed at close quarters, the pains, anguish and disappointment of being a victim of an unfair electoral process, the pursuit of an electoral system and processes that guarantee election of leaders by citizens remains the guiding light as I prepare to wind down our administration.

40.​You would all agree that the recent elections in the past two years in some states (notably Anambra, Ekiti and Osun) and a few federal constituencies have shown a high degree of credibility, transparency and freedom of choice with the people’s votes actually counting. This I promise would be improved upon as we move towards the 2023 General Elections.

41.​As we begin the transition process to another democratically elected government, I want to implore all aspirants to conduct issues-based campaigns devoid of hate speeches as well as other negative and divisive tendencies.

42.​I also want to express my wish that we see more female and youth participation in the forth-coming electoral cycle. I am sure that our teeming and energetic youths now realise that violence generally mar elections and so should desist from being used by politicians for this purpose.

43.​Reforms in the public sector are already yielding results especially in the delivery of services. On this note, I urge the general public to demand for citizen-centred services from the relevant authorities.

44.​On the international front, we have continued to take advantage of our bilateral and multilateral platforms to explore cooperation with friendly countries and partners whenever these areas of cooperation are to the advantage of Nigeria.

45.​Fellow Nigerians, in the past few years we have witnessed and overcome a good number of challenges that would ordinarily have destroyed our Nation. However, the indefatigable spirit of the Nigerian people has ensured that we overcome our challenges.

46.​It is in this spirit that I call on all of us to individually and collectively bring to the fore in dealing with all our development issues.

47.​I was called to serve, along with my team, I saw an opportunity to create a better Nigeria which we have done with the support of Nigerians. Almighty God and the good people of Nigeria supported us in laying a solid foundation for the Nigeria of our dreams.

​I thank you all and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

COVID-19: Nigeria Defied Global Predictions- President Buhari

North Korea Fires Ballistic Missiles 

First Lady felicitates Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria

Governor Zulum’s Achievements: Former Minister unveils Compendium

Kwara: Justice Haroon lauds swearing-in of Acting CJN

Africa: Educational Assessment Association elects NECO Registrar into Council

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Universities

Search Edarabia

• United Kingdom
• United States
• Saudi Arabia
• MBA Rankings
• More Countries
• Special Education Schools
• After School Activities
• Educational Suppliers
• Language Schools
• Music & Performing Arts
• Training Centers
• Education News
• Recruitment Agencies
• Student Scholarships
• Login / Register

Independence Day of Nigeria (2024)

Nigeria celebrates its National Day on the day it acquired independence from British rule. In 1960, the country proclaimed its autonomy from the British Empire. From then on, the 1st of October each year is celebrated as Nigeria’s Independence Day, also known as its National Day.

Here is everything you need to know about National Day (Independence Day) in Nigeria.

Table of Contents

Is independence day in nigeria a public holiday, history of independence day in nigeria, important independence day symbols in nigeria, nigeria independence day activities and celebrations, past and future observances of independence day in nigeria.

National Day (Independence Day) in Nigeria is considered a public holiday. It is a day off from work and school for a majority of the population. Most businesses are closed on the 1st of October as everyone joins in the nationwide celebration. Shopping malls, markets, and shops, however, remain open.

Human civilization in Nigeria goes back to 1100 BC. Historians state that several African civilizations, such as the Kingdom of Nri, Benin Empire, Songhai Empire, and the Oyo Empire had once settled in the country.

Centuries later, the British invaded Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria. In 1901, the whole nation (including the Northern Nigeria Protectorate and the Southern Nigeria Protectorate) became a British Protectorate. Britain took over the country’s natural resources for more than a hundred years. After World War II, a movement for independence was established.

On October 1, 1960, Nigeria acquired its independence from being a British Protectorate and became the Federation of Nigeria, headed by an all-Nigerian Executive Council for three years. Later on, it became the Federal Republic of Nigeria led by its first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The Nigerian flag was first hoisted on the day the country acquired its independence. Thus, it is an important symbol in the celebration of the Nigerian Independence Day. The flag consists of three vertical bands of two colors, green and white. The two green stripes on both sides represent the country’s natural wealth, while the white stripe at the center represents peace.

Independence Day (National Day) in Nigeria is celebrated by every citizen, regardless of religion and local culture. During this special day, Nigerians join various activities to commemorate the day their country gained its long-awaited independence. On the morning of October 1st, the incumbent President of Nigeria delivers a speech to officially commence the Independence Day celebrations. Once the address is finished, the Nigerian national flag is raised simultaneously with the singing of the national anthem. Afterward, the military officers lead a parade. At Aso Rock (the Presidential Villa), the national cake is also cut.

During the day, the people of Nigeria partake in the merriment. Most Nigerians wear the colors of the Nigerian flag, green and white. Some choose to wave these colors while out in the street. Likewise, some schools and organizations host their own Independence Day parades and cultural shows. Shopping malls also host games and activities for children.

Moreover, clubs and other entertainment hubs in Nigeria host events in line with the Independence Day celebrations, with some venues even offering free admission for women. Everyone is welcome to join private and locally organized parties. Concerts and comedy shows are anticipated events during the Independence Day celebrations as well.

Furthermore, fireworks displays make the celebrations brighter. While there are no official fireworks displays sponsored by the government, children and teens usually buy fireworks from their local vendors. Independence Day is the perfect excuse to have a day out with the family too. Nigerians often visit friends and relatives, bond over a picnic on a park, go to the beach, and share a traditional meal of “jollof” rice and chicken or soup.

Nigerians who are living in another country, such as the United States, join in the Independence Day celebrations. Since 1991, New York’s streets are a venue of Independence Day activities for Nigerians in the country.

Below are the past and future observances of the Independence Day (National Day) of Nigeria over a span of ten years:

Related Articles

How to Buy a Property in Dubai - 19 Tips (...

How to Check Qatar Traffic Violations & Pe...

Visas for UAE Expats Traveling to GCC Coun...

Shahada: Declaration of Faith in Islam (Fi...

How to Pay Parking by SMS in Abu Dhabi (Ma...

How to Get Police Clearance Certificate in...

Names of 25 Prophets Mentioned in Holy Quran

300 Islamic Baby Girl Names - Muslim & Ara...

Add a comment, cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please do not post:

• Aggressive or discriminatory language
• Profanities (of any kind)
• Trade secrets or confidential information

Thank you once again for doing your part to keep Edarabia the most trusted education source.

Comment (1)

It is very good By Adeola (Oct, 2023) | Reply

Trending Articles

Trending Videos

PRAYER CALCULATION SETTINGS

Calculation Method:

Juristic settings:

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

• Email Newsletter

Afropop Worldwide

• Audio Programs
• Vision Fund
• All Articles
• Discography
• Best of The Beat
• Voices in Vinyl
• Field Report

On Oct. 7, six days after the official Oct. 1 anniversary, thousands gathered on Manhattan’s East Side to celebrate Nigeria’s 57th independence day. After several hundred years of British presence in the area and official colonial control since the late 19th century, Nigeria won its independence from the U.K. in 1960, though it remained part of the British Commonwealth. The New York City area is home to about 36,000 Nigerian immigrants, many of whom came out to celebrate this weekend, 26 years since New York’s first Nigerian Independence Day Parade.

A dozen-plus floats made their way down 2nd Ave. in midtown Manhattan to end near Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, around the corner from the United Nations headquarters. Along the plaza, crowds milled about, eating  suya  and  jollof  rice from vendors lining the space, listening to positive words from various dignitaries and dancing to a short lineup of local Afrobeats artists. The floats, largely sponsored by a variety of local church associations or groups like the Nigerian Nurses Association of America, were blasting Afrobeats, r&b and hip-hop as their passengers danced and waved Nigerian flags.

Nigerian Nurses Association of USA march down 2nd Ave. Photos by Sebastian Bouknight.

Akwa Ibom State Association of Nigeria, New York chapter

A dancer with the Akwa Ibom State Association

Harlem’s Accra Restaurant representing

Ghana gets into the mix on the Accra Restaurant float

One of the most exciting floats was hosted by the Council of Cherubim and Seraphim Churches in the U.S.A. The group was decked out in all-white robes with frills and played a nonstop set of high-tempo gospel  juju  music, driven by a drum machine, talking drum player and guitarist. The group sang praise songs, sometimes to tunes of familiar Nigerian melodies like “Sweet Mother” by Prince Nico Mbarga, often joined by onlookers in song.

The Council of Cherubim and Seraphim Churches in the U.S.A.

“Nigerian is the new cool”

Revelers follow the Afrobeats truck

Several Nigerian and Nigerian-American dignitaries were present for the festivities, including Ude Chukwu, the Deputy Governor of Nigeria’s Abia State, Ugo Nwaokoro, the Deputy Mayor of Newark, N.J., and the Acting Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Nicholas Ella. They took turns at the microphone, making rosy, positive remarks lauding the Nigerian-American community for their accomplishments in the U.S., for projecting a positive image of Nigeria to the world and for remaining united despite differences.

Dignitaries at the end of the parade

Float passengers wave to the dignitaries

However, at the end of the parade route, it was made clear that unity is not necessarily the name of the game when it comes to Nigerian communities in the U.S. (or in Nigeria, for that matter), and that, beneath the largely positive celebrations is a simmering, highly contentious issue. Across the street from Dag Hammerskjold Plaza, where the festivities were taking place, a group of protesters had set up camp to call for Biafran succession and to call out the Nigerian government for  alleged bloody and inhumane crackdowns  on pro-succession protests and leaders in Nigeria’s southeast in the past month. This conflict has been on a simmer since the ’60s, when the massive, brutal and strongly ethnically and religiously divided Biafran War decimated the southeastern area of Nigeria claimed by a largely Igbo Christian separatist movement. This year, 50 years after the Asaba massacre left hundreds dead in the region, Biafran  separatist sentiments are again stirring . The issue is not clear cut, however–some Igbo leaders and governors in the region are  calling for a unified Nigeria  and siding with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. At the parade protest, demonstrators sang a song which carried a sharp message to Buhari, paraphrased as, “If all you want to do is kill people, here we are–kill us.”

Biafran separatists associated with the Indigenous People of Biafra (I.P.O.B.) – at the Nigerian Independence Day Parade

Pro-Biafra protestors carry the Biafran flag

Pro-Biafran priest fervently making his case

Across the street from the protest, the vibe was laid-back and dominated by music, food and pro-Nigerian speeches.

The crowd at Dag Hammerskjold Plaza

On the stage in the middle of plaza, we heard from several local Afrobeats singers, including Otunba and Chief Dejjy, interspersed with words from officials in the Nigerian-American community and city officials like Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Deputy Mayor Richard Beury.

Afrobeats singer Chief Dejjy

Acting Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Nicholas Ella

President of the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians, Solomon Bakare

A DJ announces the next artist

An MC hyping the crowd

Afrobeats singer Otunba

Keep your eyes out here on Afropop.org for a short video recap of the event!

KEYWORDS  AFROBEATS ,  BIAFRA ,  GOSPEL ,  INDEPENDENCE DAY ,  JUJU ,  NEW YORK ,  NIGERIA ,  PARADE ,  PHOTO ESSAY

Nigerian Independence Day

Commemorating the 1960 nigeria's freedom from british colonial rule on "nigerian independence day" observed next on 1 october.

Happy Birthday Nigeria! The country is 61st today and here is wishing every Nigerian out there a happy and fulfilling Nigeria Independence Day celebration.

When Is Nigerian Independence Day?

Nigerian Independence Day will be celebrated on Thursday, 1 October. This year, the country will celebrate it’s 61th anniversary of independence.

Nigerian Independence Day How Many Years?

October 1,  will mark 61 years since Nigeria got independence from the British colonial rule in 1960. This year, Nigerian people will proudly celebrate the 61st-anniversary of their country’s independence.

Section # 1

Nigerian Independence History

About 2000 years ago, Nigerian people having Nok culture traded slaves , Ivory and kola nuts for salt, coral, fabric, and weapons. They worked with metals like iron and produced terracotta sculptures.

In the mid-1850s, Great Britain was expanding colonies around the world and Nigeria also became a colony of British rulers. By 1901, the British Government took strong control of the Royal Niger Company’s Nigerian territories, while Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria, became a British protectorate.

The Colonization lasted for over a hundred years, during which the British Government took full advantage of Nigeria’s natural resources until after the World War II when an ‘independence movement’ for free Nigeria arose.

After a long struggle, the nationalism and independence movements kicked the British out and Nigeria became an independent state. The region was granted full independence on October 1st, 1960, marking the Nigeria Independence Day.

Even after independence, the country had to go through so many extreme civil wars between the Northern, Eastern, and Western regions. Fortunately, the country’s natural resources especially the booming petroleum trade industry, helped Nigeria flourish and advance financially after independence despite the ongoing civil wars and assassinations.

Section # 2

Nigerian Independence Day Celebrations

Nigeria celebrates its independence every year on October 1st, both in the capital and 36 states. A public holiday is observed on Nigeria Independence Day.

On the morning of 1st October, the President broadcasts a live speech on television and radio to commemorate the Independence Day.

There is a flag raising ceremony to honor the nation. Festivals and parades are held all across the country, including the display of tanks, missiles, and advanced armories. The armed forces parades with cultural dances are followed after the Presidential speech.

Millions of people take part in the Nigeria Independence Day celebrations & same day  Cyprus Independence Day . Special homage and tribute is paid to the freedom fighters and other national leaders who fought for the independence of Nigeria from colonial rule.

Finally, the national Nigerian cake is cut to commemorate the celebrations at Aso Rock (the name given to the Presidential Villa).

October 1 Public Holiday in Nigeria: An Affair To Remember!

The Nigerians celebrate their country’s independence day by decorating their streets, homes, and towns with Nigeria Flags. People are out in the streets waving and wearing the colors of the flag – green and white.

Most clubs and entertainment centers in the cities host special independence day-themed events. Some venues even offer free entrance for women and kids. Special parties for people of all ages are held, where they can enjoy games, food, and raffles.

For many Nigerians, this special public holiday is well spent with family or friends and sharing traditional meals. Many youngsters buy their fireworks from local vendors and light them in the celebration of Nigeria Independence Day. Thousands of people also head to the beach with picnics.

Interesting Facts About Nigeria

• Nigeria is home to 7% of the total languages spoken on Earth.
• The Walls of Benin in Edo State, are the longest and ancient man-made structures on Earth.
• The Yoruba Tribe has the highest rates of twin births in the world: 158 twins per 1000 births!
• The Jos Plateau Indigobird and the Anambra waxbill bird are found nowhere else on the planet but Nigeria!
• According to the World Resources Institute, Nigeria is home to 4,715 unique kinds of plant species, and more than 550 types of breeding birds and mammals, making it a standout amongst the most environmentally lively places of the planet.

Nigerian Independence Day Images

Section # 3

Nigeria FAQs: Answering All Your Questions Related To Nigerian Independence Day

How did nigeria gain its independence from great britain.

On 1 October 1960, Nigeria achieved independence from Great Britain. The Executive Council, consisting completely of Nigerians, was headed by Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (who later served as the first Prime Minister of independent Nigeria).

The country’s first government was a coalition of conservationist parties and came to power in the mid-20th century, in response to increasingly passionate requests for political independence from the colonial powers.

Great Britain recognized that the drive for independence began to gain momentum after the 2nd World War, and they guided the nation, then Nigeria’s Colony and Protectorate, towards a model for self-government.

So this is how Nigeria won its independence.

When did Nigeria get independence?

Nigeria got its independence on October 1st, 1960.

Did Nigeria Fight for Independence?

Nigeria didn’t fight for independence with the British. There was just a ‘struggle’ which led to Nigeria’s independence from Great Britain. However, there were civil wars later on.

The ethnic groups which started the civil war included: Hausa of the north, The Yoruba of the southwest, and Igbo of the southeast.

In 1960, Great Britain gave Nigeria its autonomy. A better-known Nigerian Civil War for Nigeria’s Independence ( the Biafran War ) took place in Nigeria on July 6th, 1967. The War led to an uncomfortable peace and stability in which the Nation had been afflicted in 1960 by independence. This newly established country had a multiplicity of various ethnic groups who took part in this civil war.

The civil conflict for Nigeria’s Independence was a consequence of the tensions between the different populations of Nigeria, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious. Like many other African countries, Nigeria was launched by the British as an artificial framework that had ignored religious, cultural, and ethnic distinctions.

Who is the father of Nigerian nationalism?

Olayinka Herbert Samuel Heelas Badmus Macaulay is considered by Nigerians as the founder/father of Nigerian nationalism. Herbert Macaulay was one of the first Nigerian nationalists, who was considered a fierce opponent of colonial policies. Throughout his life, he worked to expose the colonial government. He even founded news magazines like Nigerian Daily News, where he used to write his opinions against the British rule.

Section # 4

Happy Nigerian Independence Day Quotes Wishes Messages

• Happy Independence Day Nigeria – a great nation with great people from diverse cultures.
• Happy Independence Day to everyone with Nigerian’s best interest at heart
• Happy 61st Independence Day to Nigeria
• Wishing all those celebrating, a Happy Nigerian Independence Day.
• Wishing all my Nigerian friends a very Happy Independence Day. Best wishes, stay blessed!
• Happy Nigerian Independence Day to my fellow Nigerians everywhere!
• We celebrate the BEAUTY of our people: Unwavering pride, infectious joy, unshakeable resilience, and VIBRANT CULTURE !!
• Happy Independence Day. Despite all of your flaws and imperfections, I can’t imagine not being Nigerian. As our President said 33 years ago and I quote ‘We have no other nation like Nigeria, no matter where you go. We may as well remain here and salvage it together
• Happy Nigerian Independence Day to all my fellow naija peeps!
• Today is a day that represents freedom, equality and unity. I stand proud to be a Nigerian and on this day of our independence. I want to salute all my fellow Nigerias in honour of this great day. Happy Independence Day
• I’m proud to be a Nigerian, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. Happy Independence Day
• Happy Nigerian Independence Day to all my Naija’s!!!
• Being Nigerian is the second coolest thing in the world,the first however (and you guessed right) is being Nigerian. Happy Independence Day
• Happy Nigerian Independence Day! Sending Naija Gal love around the world.

• Arts & Culture

Get Involved

Special Issue 2024

Exhibition Opening: Louder than Hearts, Women Photographers from the Arab World and Iran

Annual Gala Dinner

Internships

Pakistan's Independence Day highlights deepening ideological divide

Naad-e-Ali Sulehria , Marvin G. Weinbaum

On Aug. 14, Pakistan celebrated its 78th Independence Day against the backdrop of a widening ideological and societal divide between proponents of Islamic nationalism and those championing democracy. Seizing the occasion, both the military and political leaders, recognizing Pakistan’s vulnerability to political instability and eroding social cohesion, have sought to shape the national discourse and sway public opinion with their respective narratives.

Politicians’ democratic principles vs. military’s Islamic nationalism

As politicians rely heavily on the democratic framework for their survival, they have portrayed their allegiance in terms of the fundamental principles of democracy, constitutionalism, and the separation of powers, linking these values to the legacy of the historic political struggle of Pakistan’s founding fathers. By contrast, the military, which often operates independently of the democratic system, has stressed the Islamization of Pakistan’s ideology and its centrality to shaping national identity. This close relationship between Islam and the military's strategic vision has been articulated by the army from time to time, most clearly during the Zia-ul-Haq years in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir is known for his strong conservative religious beliefs and, as a Hafiz-e-Quran (one who has memorized the Quran), consistently infuses his statements with religious appeals. He frequently references Islamic scripture and draws analogies from Islamic history, reflecting his effort to position himself as a military leader with profound Islamic knowledge, capable of providing religious guidance to his troops. Under his leadership, Pakistan’s military has presented itself as agents of God engaged in a righteous struggle against God’s enemies, with victory assured by divine promise.

Gen. Munir's Independence Day address: Key highlights

In keeping with this tradition, Gen. Munir, in his latest Independence Day address, once again invoked Islamic principles and linked them to national ideology and identity, delivering a rhetorically powerful speech that can be divided into four distinct parts. His speech, blending offensive and defensive rhetoric, served as a direct rebuttal to many of Imran Khan’s accusations against the military.

In the first part of his speech, Gen. Munir articulated his vision of Pakistan’s national ideology, reaffirming the country’s founding as a purely Islamic state established to preserve a separate Muslim identity. He rejected Western ideals as unsuitable for the country, using this to justify the army's role as the sole guardian of the state and Islam. Equating Pakistan's stability and progress with the strength of its military, he warned that undermining the armed forces was tantamount to weakening the state itself.

In the second part of the speech, Gen. Munir addressed Pakistan’s threat landscape, focusing on internal strife and anarchy. He identified two key internal enemies: what he called politically motivated “ digital terrorists ” — those conspiring against or defaming the army using social media platforms — and violent extremist groups, or Fitna al-Khawarij — a term used by the army to describe the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He condemned these digital terrorists for allegedly carrying out anti-state activities that violate the constitution by misusing freedom of speech for destructive purposes. Similarly, he denounced violent extremist groups as un-Islamic, saying that their actions were contrary to shari’a.

In the third part of his speech, Gen. Munir presented the military’s solution to these challenges through the recently launched Azm-e-Istekham (Resolve for Stability) vision, which involves a coordinated multi-dimensional approach combining kinetic military actions with non-kinetic measures to combat terrorism and political polarization alike.

In the final part of the speech, Gen. Munir outlined the military’s demands for the nation, calling for the people’s unwavering trust. He emphasized that mutual trust and a strong relationship between the people and the armed forces are the state’s most valuable assets. He urged the public, especially the youth, to remain vigilant against hostile propaganda aimed at the military. Instilling hope for a brighter future and commending the sacrifices of the people and armed forces in combating terrorism, Gen. Munir concluded his remarks with a warning that the enemies of God and Pakistan, who spread hopelessness and anarchy, would fail miserably, promising a swift and decisive response from the military, whether in conventional or unconventional forms.

Imran Khan’s counter-narrative

Khan's populist narrative focuses on portraying the military establishment as responsible for leading the country to a dangerous crossroads. He not only accuses the military of imposing undeclared martial law and waging an oppressive campaign against him and his party, but also characterizes his resistance as righteous — a jihad (holy war) for Haqeeqi Azadi (true freedom), aimed at defending the constitution and restoring democracy.

Khan has dismissed the military’s claims of “digital terrorism” as counterproductive, arguing that it fuels the growing divide between the military and citizens. He contends that 90 percent of Pakistanis support his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and warns of repercussions if his supporters are labeled as terrorists. Khan maintains that the current political system, controlled by the military, is a mockery of democracy and alleges that an illegitimate authoritarian regime usurped the PTI’s majority mandate in a rigged election on Feb. 8, 2024. Recently, Khan accused Pakistan’s Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of bias against his party and of acting under military orders. Khan calls for very different solutions from Gen. Munir — namely that he and other political prisoners be immediately released and his claimed political mandate be restored by holding fresh elections. Drawing parallels with the recent regime change in Bangladesh, Khan has argued that Pakistan’s situation is even more dire, warning of potential widespread unrest if his proposed solutions are not implemented.

Escalating conflict and fears

The escalating conflict between Khan and the military leadership is seen as a primary cause of Pakistan's destabilization, with populism and authoritarianism locked in a potentially deadly confrontation. The polarized discourse from both sides reveals a deep internal fracture within Pakistan over long-standing concepts of patriotism and nationalism. Despite this tension, a mutual fear influences the behavior of both the populist PTI and the military establishment. On the one hand, the PTI fears that intensifying its rhetoric against the military might provoke an even harsher response, possibly leading to indefinite direct military rule. On the other hand, the military fears that Khan’s popularity could incite public protests, creating a chaotic situation akin to what happened in Bangladesh, and might even inspire sympathy and internal dissent within its own ranks. While Khan aims to confine the military establishment to its constitutional role of defense and eliminate its political influence, the military’s goal is not only to defeat Khan but also to prevent any future scenario where a politician’s popularity could threaten the status quo.

This fear may explain why, facing a legitimacy crisis, Gen. Munir has resorted to Islamic injunctions to reinforce hierarchy, discipline, and a sense of pride among soldiers, symbolically transforming their loyalty to the army chief into a matter of faith rather than just one of military duty. In the aftermath of Gen. Munir's speech, the military seems to be intensifying its efforts to root out those it believes are responsible for political instability and tightening its grip on Khan and his supporters, including within its own ranks. The arrest and court-martial of former spy chief Lt. Gen. (ret.) Faiz Hameed — whom Imran Khan refers to as an “asset” — along with three other retired military officers, on charges of abusing power and engaging in activities detrimental to national stability, is a clear example of this.

Government’s amplified support for the military

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, which has praised the army’s actions, has further claimed that Hameed and the other officers were acting under Khan's orders in an effort to create chaos in Pakistan, with the May 9 uprising — which saw nationwide attacks on army installations — being their most significant attempt. The government has hinted at major revelations and more arrests in the coming days. Optimistic about these developments, the PML-N is aiming to see Khan finally tried in a military court. If evidence emerges proving Hameed's connection to Khan in orchestrating the May 9 riots, the military, which has so far hesitated to prosecute Khan for various reasons, may finally take action. This would shift the case from civilian courts — where Khan has received rulings offering relief through the suspension of his sentences — to a military court, where overturning a conviction would be much more challenging.

A lose-lose situation

Khan appears to understand that his transfer to military custody is inevitable, which would deprive him of his last line of defense by severing his ability to communicate with the outside world — a connection he has managed to maintain effectively under civilian detention. Aware that reconciliation with the army chief is no longer an option, Khan is now relying on his party to forge alliances with other political groups that share similar grievances against the military establishment, in hopes of sparking widespread protests, particularly in the volatile regions of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, these protests alone will not be enough unless they spread on a massive scale to Punjab and Sindh, where the majority of Pakistan's population lives. The country's fragmented political landscape makes this a challenge though, reducing the likelihood of a nationwide uprising.

Khan is also counting on the incoming chief justice of Pakistan, Mansoor Ali Shah, whom he hopes will free him from the military's grip. But then he has reason to worry that the government could prevent this from happening by extending the tenure of the current chief justice, Qazi Faez Isa. As Khan reaches the final stages of his battle with the military establishment, he is still pinning his hopes on the fact that his overwhelming popular support will influence the military, mindful of the potentially irreparable damage his political decapitation could do to it.

In this looming confrontation between Khan and the army chief, it seems clear that, given the high stakes, the outcome will likely be a lose-lose situation. Neither Khan's goal of achieving constitutional supremacy and restoring democracy, nor the army chief's aim of instilling religiously inspired stability is likely to be realized. This confrontation will leave a lasting scar on the nation's collective memory, further eroding the reputation of state institutions and reducing the chances of national reconciliation and unity. While the state may survive this unprecedented crisis, a fractured and polarized Pakistan will fail to achieve the goals envisioned by its founders more than three-quarters of a century ago.

Naad-e-Ali Sulehria has over five years of involvement working with international organizations and think tanks in different capacities as a political researcher, policy advisor, peace strategist, and human rights practitioner. He currently serves as a Research Assistant to Dr. Marvin G. Weinbaum, director of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies Program at the Middle East Institute.

Dr. Marvin G. Weinbaum is the director of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Studies Program at the Middle East Institute.

Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

The Middle East Institute (MEI) is an independent, non-partisan, non-for-profit, educational organization. It does not engage in advocacy and its scholars’ opinions are their own. MEI welcomes financial donations, but retains sole editorial control over its work and its publications reflect only the authors’ views. For a listing of MEI donors, please click here .

Advertisement

Where Kamala Harris Stands on the Issues: Abortion, Immigration and More

She wants to protect the right to abortion nationally. Here’s what else to know about her positions.

• Share full article

By Maggie Astor

• Published July 21, 2024 Updated Aug. 24, 2024

With Vice President Kamala Harris having replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket, her stances on key issues will be scrutinized by both parties and the nation’s voters.

She has a long record in politics: as district attorney of San Francisco, as attorney general of California, as a senator, as a presidential candidate and as vice president.

Here is an overview of where she stands.

Ms. Harris supports legislation that would protect the right to abortion nationally, as Roe v. Wade did before it was overturned in 2022, in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

After the Dobbs ruling, she became central to the Biden campaign’s efforts to keep the spotlight on abortion, given that Mr. Biden — with his personal discomfort with abortion and his support for restrictions earlier in his career — was a flawed messenger. In March, she made what was believed to be the first official visit to an abortion clinic by a president or vice president.

She consistently supported abortion rights during her time in the Senate, including cosponsoring legislation that would have banned common state-level restrictions, like requiring doctors to perform specific tests or have hospital admitting privileges in order to provide abortions.

As a presidential candidate in 2019, she argued that states with a history of restricting abortion rights in violation of Roe should be subject to what is known as pre-clearance for new abortion laws — those laws would have to be federally approved before they could take effect. That proposal is not viable now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .