All You Need to Know About Nigeria at 58!
1st October, 1960 Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Nigeria gained independence from the Britain, with late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
as the Prime Minister leading a league government of parliamentary system.
Three years later, it became a republic.
In October 1963, Nigeria announced itself the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and late Nnamdi Azikiwe became the country’s first
President.
In October 2010, Nigeria celebrated its golden jubilee ’50th’
anniversary of its independence.
Today, Nigeria is 58 years!
This is a timeline of Nigerian history, comprising important
legal and territorial changes and political events in Nigeria and its
predecessor states.
Early history
8000 B.C. –
Creation of oldest currently known artifacts and stone shelters. Igboland
mostly occupied by foragers, including Bantu ancestors.
3000–500 B.C. –
Development of agriculture (probably including yam cultivation) and animal
husbandry.
500 B.C. – A.D. 200
– Nok culture flourishes in Northern Nigeria.
400–100 B.C. – Ironworking develops around Opi, Nsukka
Rise of Igbo, Yoruba,
Edo, and Muslim civilisations
770 A.D. – Early Ijaw settlement.
800 – Mega-state at Igbo-Ukwu has complex social structure,
produces copious artifacts including bronzes. Yoruba civilization already well
established, based on thirteen farming villages centered at Ilé-Ifẹ̀.
900 – The reign of the Kingdom of Nri began.
1100 – The Islamic state of Borno was established.
1200 – Ilé-Ifẹ̀
becomes Yoruba metropolis.
1255 – Oba Ewedo comes to power in Benin Empire.
1450 – Beginning of European contact on the Atlantic
coast.[1]
1500 – The nominally Muslim Hausa Kingdoms were established
in Northern Nigeria.
18th century
Year
|
Date
|
Event
|
1728
|
Oyo Empire invades
Kingdom of Dahomey.
|
|
1767
|
June
|
British slave traders facilitate massacre on the Calabar
River.[2]
|
1800
|
Sokoto
Caliphate established through jihad; goes to war against
the Yoruba states.
|
19th century
Year
|
Date
|
Event
|
1803
|
Escape to Igbo
Landing in Georgia, USA.
|
|
1807
|
25 March
|
Slave Trade Act 1807: Britain prohibits
subjects from trafficking in slaves.[1]
|
1833
|
End of Oyo empire.[1]
|
|
1841
|
Niger Expedition of Christian missionaries.[1]
|
|
1846
|
Church Missionary Society sets up
mission at Abeokuta.[1]
|
|
1851
|
1 January
|
Treaty Between
Great Britain and Lagos, 1 January 1852
|
1861
|
6 August
|
Lagos Treaty of Cession: British
annexes Lagos,
with status of Crown Colony.[1]
|
1864
|
Samuel Ajayi Crowther becomes first
African Anglican Bishop.[3]
|
|
1879
|
George Taubman Goldie amalgamated
various British ventures to form the United African Company (later known as
the Royal Niger Company).
|
|
1880
|
The conquest of Southern Nigeria by the British began.
|
|
1885
|
Other European powers
acknowledged British sovereignty over Nigeria at the Berlin Conference.
|
|
1887
|
King Ja
Ja of Opobo exiled to West Indies by British.[1]
|
|
1891
|
John Payne Jackson becomes publisher
of Lagos Weekly Record.[3]
|
|
1892
|
British raid uses maxim guns to
defeat Ijebu Kingdom, thereby moving towards complete
dominance in the southwest area surrounding Lagos.
|
|
1893
|
British incorporate Yoruba lands in southwest into new
protectorate.[1]
|
|
1894
|
Brassmen revolt against Royal
Niger Company.[1]
|
|
1895
|
29 January
|
King Koko leads successful attack on Royal Niger
Company headquarters in Akassa.
|
2 February
|
Consul-general Claude Maxwell MacDonald receives
letter from King Koko offering to release hostages in exchange for redress of
grievances against the Company. This request is declined.
|
|
20 February
|
Royal Navy counter-attacks against King Koko, razes Nembe.
|
|
1897
|
4 January
|
Covert foray of the Niger Coast
Protectorate Force against Benin City is
discovered and destroyed by the Kingdom
of Benin.
|
9–18 February
|
Retaliatory Benin Expedition of 1897 leads to
capture of Benin City.
|
|
1898
|
Beginning of Ekumeku
Movement against British rule.[1]
|
|
1900
|
1 January
|
All Nigeria now under Crown rule. Protectorate of Northern Nigeria created
from Company holdings.
|
20th century
Year
|
Date
|
Event
|
1901
|
Anglo-Aro
war: The war began. The Aro
Confederacy began to decline. (to 1902)
|
|
1902
|
Anglo-Aro war: The war ended.
|
|
1903
|
January
|
Capture of Kano
|
The British conquered
most of Northern Nigeria, including the Sokoto
Caliphate.
|
||
1905
|
The British conquest
of Southern Nigeria ended.
|
|
1906
|
1 May
|
Colonial Office amalgamates Lagos Colony with Southern Nigeria Protectorate.
|
1908
|
German-owned Nigerian Bitumen
Company began searching for petroleum off coast.[4]
|
|
Protests against water fees in Lagos, encouraged by
nationalistic journalism of Herbert
Macaulay.[1]
|
||
1912
|
Lord Frederick
Lugard, Governor of Northern
Nigeria, established a system of indirect
rule. Creation of Southern Nigeria Civil Service Union; later, Nigerian
Civil Servants' Union.[1]
|
|
1914
|
January
|
Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were
amalgamated into Nigeria. British Crown gained monopoly rights over mineral
extraction.
|
Nigerian soldiers fight under
British command in World War I.[1]
|
||
1918
|
The Adubi War is fought in Egba Land.
|
|
1920
|
National Congress of British
West Africa founded in Accra.
|
|
1922
|
Clifford Constitution.
|
|
1925
|
West African Students' Union.
|
|
1928
|
April
|
British begin direct taxation.
|
1929
|
14 October
|
New governor implements plans to
expand taxation.
|
November
|
"Women's War": Widespread revolt against
taxation.
|
|
1931
|
Founding of Nigeria Union of Teachers.[1]
|
|
1936
|
Founding of Nigeria Youth Movement.[1]
|
|
1937
|
Shell D'Arcy Petroleum
Development Company of Nigeria (later Shell-BP) granted petroleum exploration
rights.[4]
|
|
1944
|
National Council of
Nigeria and the Cameroons founded by Nnamdi
"Zik" Azikiwe.[1]
|
|
1945
|
Countrywide general
strike.[1]
|
|
Adoption of first Ten Year Plan for economic development.[1]
|
||
1946
|
Nigeria entered a period of
decolonization and growing Nigerian nationalism.
|
|
1950
|
A conference of northern and southern delegates was held
in Ibadan.
|
|
1951
|
MacPherson Constitution.
|
|
Yoruba-aligned Action Group founded; headed by Obafemi
Awolowo.[1]
|
||
1953
|
1 May
|
Northern vs. Southern violence breaks out in
the Northern city of Kano.
|
1956
|
Shell-BP expedition makes first discoveries of major
petroleum deposits, at Olobiri and Afam.[4]
|
|
1957
|
Nigeria held a Constitutional
conference.
|
|
1959
|
Nigeria holds its first national election to set up an
independent government. Northern politicians
won a majority of seats in the Parliament.
|
|
1959 Petroleum Profits Tax
Ordinance establishes 50–50 split of oil revenues between corporation and
government. Socony Mobil receives offshore oil license.[4]
|
||
1960
|
The period of nationalism and decolonization ended.
|
|
Tiv uprising.
|
||
1 October
|
Nigeria gained independence from Britain under
Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and President Nnamdi
Azikiwe.
|
|
1962
|
Tennessee Nigeria receives
offshore oil license.
|
|
1963
|
1 October
|
Nigeria severed its remaining ties to Britain,
marking the birth of the Nigerian First Republic.
|
Amoseas and Gulf receive offshore
oil licenses.[4]
|
||
1964
|
1 December
|
National parliamentary election.
|
SAFRAP and AGIP receive offshore
oil licenses.
|
||
Another Tiv uprising heavily suppressed by police.
|
||
1965
|
Elections held in Western Region.
|
|
Autumn
|
Refinery completed at Port
Harcourt; owned 60% by Federal Government, 40% by Shell-BP.[4]
|
|
1966
|
15 January
|
A military coup deposed
the government of the First Republic. Balewa,
Premier of Northern Nigeria Ahmadu
Bello, and Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh, were assassinated.
|
16 January
|
The Federal Military Government was formed, with
General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi acting as head
of state and Supreme Commander of the Federal Republic.
|
|
29 July
|
A counter-coup by military
officers of northern extraction deposed the Federal Military
Government. Aguiyi-Ironsi and Adekunle
Fajuyi, Military Governor of the Western Region, were assassinated.
General Yakubu Gowon became President.
|
|
1967
|
Genocide against people of Eastern Nigerian origin claimed
the lives of many thousands mostlyChristian Igbo
people This was carried out by the Muslim Hausa and Fula
people. This triggered a migration of the Igbo back to the East.
|
|
27 May
|
Gowon announces further
subdivision of Nigeria, into twelve states. These include subdivision of the
Eastern Region which will undermine its political power.
|
|
30 May
|
Nigerian-Biafran War: General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military
Governor of Eastern Nigeria, declared his province an
independent republic called Biafra.
|
|
1970
|
8 January
|
Ojukwu fled into exile. His
deputy Philip Effiong became acting President
of Biafra
|
15 January
|
Effiong surrendered to Nigerian forces. Biafra was
reintegrated into Nigeria.
|
|
1971
|
Nigeria joins Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries.[1]
|
|
1973
|
22 January
|
A plane crashed in Kano,
Nigeria, killing 176 people.
|
1975
|
29 January
|
General Yakubu
Gowon was overthrown in a bloodless coup. General Murtala
Mohammed became Head of State.
|
1976
|
13 February
|
Mohammed was assassinated on his way to
work. His deputy, Lieutenant-General Olusegun Obasanjo, became Head of State and set
a date to end military rule.
|
1979
|
Shehu
Shagari won election to the Executive Presidency of the American-style
Second Republic.
|
|
1 October
|
Shagari was sworn in as President.
|
|
1983
|
Shagari won
reelection.
|
|
31 December
|
Shagari's government was ejected from power in
a palace coup, marking the end
of the Second Republic. General Muhammadu
Buhari became Head of State and Chairman of the Supreme Military
Council of Nigeria.
|
|
1984
|
17 April
|
The Buhari regime
promulgated Decree No. 4, the "Public Officer's Protection Against False
Accusation" Decree, which made it an offence to ridicule the government
by publication of false information.
|
1985
|
August
|
Buhari was overthrown in a palace coup.
General Ibrahim Babangida became Head of State and
President of the Armed Forces Ruling Council of
Nigeria.
|
1990
|
April
|
Middle
Belt Christian officers, led by Major Gideon
Orkar, attempt to overthrow Babangida in an unsuccessful coup.
|
1992
|
Two political parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and
the National Republican Convention (NRC) ware established by Babangida in an attempt to return to
civilian rule.
|
|
1993
|
12 June
|
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola won
a presidential election. Babangida annulled the results.
|
26 August
|
Babangida stepped down due to pressure
from the Armed Forces Ruling Council. Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan assumed
power as Interim Head of State.
|
|
17 November
|
Shonekan was forced to
resign from office. Defence Minister Sani
Abacha became Head of State and established the Provisional Ruling
Council of Nigeria.
|
|
1995
|
13 March
|
The Abacha administration
arrested Obasanjo for allegedly supporting a
secret coup plot.
|
10 November
|
Human and environmental rights
activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged with eight others.
|
|
1998
|
8 June
|
Abacha died from a heart attack. Abdusalami Abubakar became Head of State
and Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council of Nigeria and lifted the ban
on political activity.
|
15 June
|
Obasanjo was released from prison.
|
|
1999
|
10 February
|
Obasanjo was elected President.
|
29 May
|
Obasanjo was sworn in, ushering in the
Fourth Republic.
|
|
19 December
|
Obasanjo ordered the Nigerian Armed Forces to raid the town
of Odi in the Niger
Delta, in response to the murder of twelve policemen by local militia.
|
|
2000
|
27 January
|
Sharia was
established in the predominantly Muslim state
of Zamfara.
|
May
|
Religious riots erupted in Kaduna over
the implementation of sharia.
|
|
5 June
|
The Obasanjo administration established
the Niger Delta Development Commission
(NDDC) to tackle human and ecological issues in the Niger
Delta region of Southern Nigeria.
|
21st century
Year
|
Date
|
Event
|
2002
|
Religious riots erupt over the
Miss World pageant due to be hosted in Abuja.
|
|
10 October
|
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled
against Nigeria in favor of Cameroon over
the disputed oil-rich Bakassi peninsula territory.
|
|
2003
|
April
|
Obasanjo won reelection as President.
|
29 May
|
Obasanjo was sworn in for a second term
as President.
|
|
2004
|
Obasanjo declared a state of emergency in
response to the eruption of ethnoreligious violence in Plateau
State.
|
|
2006
|
16 May
|
The National Assembly of Nigeria voted
against a Constitutional amendment to remove term limits.
|
13 June
|
Obasanjo met with Cameroonian President Paul Biya and Secretary General of the
United Nations Kofi Annan in New
York City to resolve a dispute over Bakassi.
|
|
1 August
|
Nigerian troops began to pull out of Bakassi.
|
|
March through August
|
Several buildings collapse in Lagos
killing 27 people.
|
|
2007
|
15 March
|
The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) released the names of twenty-four
approved candidates for the presidential elections.
|
21 April
|
Umaru
Yar'Adua, Governor of Katsina
State, was elected President of Nigeria.
|
|
2009
|
23 November
|
President Umaru Yar'Adua travels to Saudi Arabia to
receive treatment for a heart condition. This inspires a constitutional
crises and calls for him to step down as he was deemed unfit to continue in
power.
|
2010
|
5 May
|
Umaru Yar'Adua, President of
Nigeria pronounced dead after a long illness. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was
already the Acting President at that time succeeds him. The Government of
Nigeria declares seven days of mourning.
|
1 October
|
Nigeria celebrates the Golden Jubilee of her independence
(50 years). However, the celebrations are hindered by two car bombings close
to the Eagles' Square in Abuja, where the elite had gathered to celebrate the
golden jubilee.
|
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