Nigeria Law

Chapter III · Power

The National Honours

The National Honours Act, No. 5 of 1964, established Nigeria's own honours system — two Orders, eight ranks. The Order of the Federal Republic and the Order of the Niger. Awarded by the President by warrant.

The Orders and selected awardees

GCFROrder of the Federal Republic

Grand Commander of the Federal Republic

Reserved for the Head of State. By convention every elected President has been so honoured, as has Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (posthumously, 2022).

Highest civilian honour

GCONOrder of the Niger

Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger

Reserved for the Vice-President. Senior Vice-Presidents and a small number of national figures have been honoured.

Second-highest

CFROrder of the Federal Republic

Commander of the Federal Republic

Senior cabinet, Chief Justices, principal Federal officers. Conferred on Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Aliko Dangote, and others.

3rd rank

CONOrder of the Niger

Commander of the Order of the Niger

Senior public service. Multiple Nobel laureates among the holders (Wole Soyinka, CFR).

4th rank

OFROrder of the Federal Republic

Officer of the Federal Republic

Mid-rank. Awarded broadly across the public sector, sports, and the arts.

5th rank

OONOrder of the Niger

Officer of the Order of the Niger

Mid-rank. Most-awarded honour by volume.

6th rank

MFROrder of the Federal Republic

Member of the Federal Republic

Member-rank in the Order of the Federal Republic.

7th rank

MONOrder of the Niger

Member of the Order of the Niger

Member-rank in the Order of the Niger. The most populous of the formal ranks.

8th rank

1922Colonial Honour

KBE — Knight Commander, Order of the British Empire

Conferred on Sir Kitoyi Ajasa (1929), Sir Adeyemo Alakija (1945) and other early Nigerian figures.

Colonial era

1954Colonial Honour

GCMG — Order of St Michael & St George

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa appointed GCMG, 1960. Highest colonial-era honour held by a Nigerian.

Colonial era

1964 (decl)Declined

Wole Soyinka, NNOM

Awarded the CFR (1986) and CON (later). Returned/rejected honours during the Abacha era as political protest.

Returned

2022Posthumous Class

Posthumous honours of 22 May 2022

Buhari conferred posthumous honours on Nigeria's founders: Balewa (GCFR), Awolowo (GCFR), Aminu Kano (CFR), MKO Abiola (GCFR, 2018), among others.

Buhari II

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Redline

Wikipedia is never a source.