Nigeria@60: Notable events in Nigeria’s history from 1960 till date

 

 

As Nigeria marks its 60th anniversary,here is a timeline of events that have occurred from 1960 till date.

1960       The period of nationalism and decolonization ended and in 1 October, Nigeria gained independence from Britain under Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and President Nnamdi Azikiwe.

1963       In 1 October, Nigeria severed its remaining ties to Britain, marking the birth of the Nigerian First Republic.

1964       -1 December,National parliamentary election.

               -SAFRAP and AGIP receive offshore oil licenses.

1965       Elections held in Western Region.

               Refinery completed at Port Harcourt; owned 60% by Federal Government, 40% by Shell

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.

               23 February, Isaac Adaka Boro declared the secession of the "Niger Delta Republic". The secession was crushed by Ojukwu and 159 men were killed.

             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       Killings of 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.

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       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       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       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.

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.

2011    For the first time a citizen from a minority region (South-South)of the country takes on the presidential position after a successful election. The president (Dr Goodluck Jonathan) of the People's Democratic Party (Nigeria) (PDP) won the election as people came out massively to vote for him even in the South West part of the country.

2012    Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declares a state of emergency in parts of the country hit by violence by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.[1

Nigeria announces an end to its fuel subsidy scheme leading the Nigeria Labour Congress to call for strikes and street protests.

Boko Haram issues a warning to Christians in northern Nigeria to leave the region within three days.

Two bombs explode in Maiduguri with the Boko Haram movement believed to be responsible.

January 5 - Islamist insurgency in Nigeria

Bombs explode in two northern Nigerian cities.

Gunmen attack a church in Gombe killing at least six people.

2013   A court in South Africa sentences Nigerian militant Henry Okah to 24 years' imprisonment for his involvement in the Abuja car bombings which killed at least 12 people in October 2010.

2014   A Liberian official visiting Lagos dies of the Ebola virus becoming the first reported death in Nigeria.

Nigeria's economy passes South Africa's to become the largest in Africa.

276 female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, by Boko Haram.

Nigeria becomes the third African nation to declare a state of emergency over the outbreak.

2015   General elections were held in Nigeria on 28 and 29 March 2015, the fifth quadrennial election to be held since the end of military rule in 1999. The incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan sought his second and final term.

It was the most expensive election ever to be held on the African continent. Opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential election by more than 2.5 million votes. Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat on 31 March, before the results from all 36 states had been announced. The election marked the first time an incumbent president had lost re-election in Nigeria. The President-elect was sworn-in on 29 May 2015, marking the first time since Nigeria gained independence in 1960 that a sitting government peacefully transferred power to an elected member of the opposition.

2016   Boko Haram militants shot and killed 7 people and burned down 10 houses in Madagali, Adamawa

12th Africa Movie Academy Awards took place in Port Harcourt.

2017    Nigerian refugee camp bombing, resulted in 115 deaths according to official sources.

2018     Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping

Over 100 people are killed in floods after two major rivers burst their banks.

At least 30 people are killed when a pipeline caught fire and explodes in southeast Nigeria after a raid by suspected petrol thieves.

Nigeria participated at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, with 3 competitors in 2 sports.

2019   General elections were held in Nigeria on 23 February 2019 to elect the President, Vice President, House of Representatives and the Senate.

Incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari won his reelection bid, defeating his closest rival Atiku Abubakar by over 3 million votes. He was issued a Certificate of Return, and was sworn in on May 29, 2019, the former date of Democracy Day (Nigeria).

2020   Declaration of lockdown as a result of COVID-19 outbreak

            President Buhar’s chief of staff, Abba Kyari died.

          Gov Godwin Obaseki won his second term as governor of Edo state.

Source:Wikipedia