The Republic
Federal Budgets

1st Republic1965· £160.5 million revenue · £184.3 million spent· Chapter I · Money

Government revenue and spending, 1965

Federal Government, calendar year. Revenue rose 16.4 per cent, helped by higher oil royalties. Overall deficit £23.8 million. Figures include statutory transfers to the Regions. Revenue: £160.5 million. Expenditure: £184.3 million (£144.6m recurrent, £39.7m capital).

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Actual outturn as reported after the year closed, not the estimate voted at the start of it.

• Revenue: £160.5 million • Expenditure: £184.3 million (£144.6m recurrent, £39.7m capital)

Federal Government, calendar year. Revenue rose 16.4 per cent, helped by higher oil royalties. Overall deficit £23.8 million. Figures include statutory transfers to the Regions.

Colonial figures are in sterling; hyphenated years (e.g. 1925-26) are April–March financial years. What counts as 'revenue' changed over time — the railway was included from 1925-26 and excluded again from 1936-37 — so compare neighbouring years with care.

What it cost — political & economic reality

The political and economic reality

Nigeria in 1965: who was in charge, the cabinet of the day, the GDP, and the crises that defined the period.

Prime Minister · First Republic

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

1960–1966· NPC

National reality

Independence on 1 October 1960. Regional rivalries (NPC, NCNC, AG) dominated politics. Awolowo treason trial (1962–63). Western Region crisis (1962–65) and the disputed 1964 federal election destabilised the Republic.

Crises of the period

  • Action Group crisis (1962)
  • Western Region election violence (1965)
  • January 15, 1966 coup — Balewa, Ahmadu Bello and Akintola killed

GDP (World Bank)

≈ $4.2 bn (1960, World Bank)

Cabinet (selected portfolios)

  • Finance

    Festus Okotie-Eboh

  • Justice (AGF)

    Dr. Taslim Olawale Elias

  • Defence

    Sir Muhammadu Ribadu

  • Foreign Affairs

    Jaja Wachuku

  • Education

    Aja Nwachukwu

Sources · Federal Gazette 1960–66 · Falola & Heaton (2008)

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Tier 4 · tertiary, flagged

Wikipedia only where primary is pending. Always labelled.