Nigeria: 66 years of independence for Africa's demographic giant

On October 1st, Nigeria celebrates the anniversary of its independence, which was proclaimed on October 1, 1960: that makes 66 years in 2026. The country was admitted to the United Nations a few days later, on October 7, 1960. Today, it is the most populous country in Africa, with more than 200 million inhabitants.

Independence in several stages

The path to independence was gradual: the British first granted a representative government in 1951, followed by a federal constitution in 1954. At independence, Nigeria was a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth: Queen Elizabeth II remained head of state, represented by a governor-general. Nnamdi Azikiwe held this position starting November 16, 1960. Real power was then primarily in the hands of Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello were among the other major political figures of the era.

On October 1, 1963, Nigeria became a federal republic, while remaining a member of the Commonwealth. Nnamdi Azikiwe became its first president.

A wealthy country, but tensions from the start

At independence, the country was already the most populous on the continent (approximately 34 million inhabitants according to 1950s estimates) and an agricultural giant: the world's leading producer of palm oil, a major exporter of peanuts, and the third-largest producer of cocoa. However, tensions between the major regional groups—Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa-Fulani—soon emerged. These would lead to the Biafran War, from 1967 to 1970.

Key takeaways

October 1st serves as a reminder of both the ambition of a giant born in 1960 and the difficulty of building a nation from such a great diversity of peoples.