The Republic
All stories

Republicevent★ Pivotal · political1 October 1963· Chapter 56

Republic Day

1 October 1963. The Queen ceases to be Head of State. Azikiwe becomes first President. Mid-Western Region carved from the West by referendum.

Listen to this story0:00 / —:—

On 1 October 1963 Nigeria became a Republic. The Queen ceased to be Head of State; Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Governor-General, became the ceremonial first President of Nigeria. Tafawa Balewa continued as Executive Prime Minister.

The Mid-Western Region was carved out of the Western Region in August 1963 by a referendum — the first and only new region created under the parliamentary system, and the result of a motion first tabled in the House by M.S. Sowole. It marked the first attempt to use the federation's own machinery to redress minority grievances — a pattern that would be revived under the military in 1967, 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996.

Era context

The political and economic reality

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

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)

The Republic — Weekly

One article a week. Stories, consorts, records, heroes — on a four-week rotation.

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.