Nigeria Law
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Independence1960· Chapter 4

October 1, 1960

The Union Jack is lowered at the Race Course (now Tafawa Balewa Square), Lagos. Three regions, one federation, an outgoing Queen-in-Parliament.

At midnight on 30 September into 1 October 1960, the Union Jack was lowered and the Nigerian flag — designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, a 23-year-old student — was raised at the Race Course in Lagos. Princess Alexandra of Kent read the Queen's message of independence. Tafawa Balewa became Prime Minister of a parliamentary federation of three regions: Northern (Sardauna of Sokoto, Premier), Western (Awolowo, then Akintola), and Eastern (Azikiwe, then Michael Okpara). Nigeria remained a Commonwealth realm with Elizabeth II as Queen until 1 October 1963 when it became a republic.

Source: Federal Gazette 1960; Nigeria Independence Act 1960 (UK)

Era context

The political and economic reality

The government(s), economy and national reality across the period 1960–1963.

British colonial administration

Sir Frederick Lugard → Sir James Robertson

1900–1960

National reality

Amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates (1914) under indirect rule. Marketing boards extracted cocoa, palm oil and groundnut surpluses; political agitation built through the press and the trade union movement.

Crises of the period

  • Aba Women's War (1929)
  • Iva Valley shooting of striking miners (1949)
  • Kano riots (1953)

GDP (World Bank)

Pre-independence; no national accounts series

Cabinet (selected portfolios)

Full ministerial roster being compiled.

Government administered by Governors-General and Residents. The first indigenous federal ministers were appointed under the 1954 Lyttelton Constitution.

Source: Toyin Falola, A History of Nigeria (CUP, 2008)

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

Source: Federal Gazette 1960–66; Falola & Heaton (2008)

Methodology

Tier 1 · primary

Courts. Gazettes. National archives.

Tier 2 · corroborating

OCCRP. HRW. BudgIT. TheCable.

Redline

Wikipedia is never a source.