1.
By 9000 BC, people are already
living in different areas of present day Nigeria like Iwo-Eleru and Okigwe
2.
The Nri
Kingdom, Onitsha
Kingdom, Aboh, the confederal state of
Arochukwu, Calabar Kingdom are some examples of early states and
kingdoms of modern Nigeria.
3.
The followings are also notable
kingdoms and empires which form the former British colony now called Nigeria.
4.
Benin Kingdom,
5.
Borgu kingdom
6.
Huasa-Fulani Caliphate
7.
City states of the Niger Delta
like Ibiobio kingdom,
8.
Oyo empire, Songhai empire, Nupe
kingdom, Kanem-Bornu empire
9.
In 1851 Lagos was bombarded
10.
In 1861, Lagos
was ceded to Britain
becoming a crown colony
11.
In 1885, British claims to a West
African area of influence was recognized internationally
12.
In 1886, under the leadership of sir
Taubman Goldie, the royal Niger Company was chartered
13.
In the Times newspaper of January 8, 1897, Flora Shaw, a British journalist who later
married Lord Frederick Lugard suggested that the areas over which the Royal Niger
company has extended British control be named Nigeria
14.
Royal Niger Company’s territory was
taken over by the British government in 1900
15.
In 1906, the colony of Lagos and southern protectorate were united
16.
In 1914, the colony of Lagos, Southern
Protectorate and Northern Protectorate were amalgamated. A colonial officer,
Lord Frederick Lugard was appointed the Governor General of the new union.
17.
As a result of nationalistic
awakening and demands for independence successive constitutions moved Nigeria towards
independence. These constitutions
included’
18.
The Clifford Constitution of 1922.
19.
The Hugh Clifford constitution of
1922 is remarkable for introducing elective principle which allows direct
election into the legislative council
20.
In 1922, Herbert Macaulay founded the First
Nigerian Political Party, The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroon
(NCNC)
21.
In 1946 Richard’s Constitution was
enacted. It divided Nigeria
into three regions, namely are; Eastern region, Western region and Northern
region.
22.
The Sir John Macpherson Constitution was promulgated in 1951. It
introduced the regional legislative council and public service commission
23.
In 1954, the Oliver Littleton constitution was
promulgated. The Littleton
constitution introduced the federal principle
24.
On 27 October 1958, Britain agreed that Nigeria would become an independent
state
25.
Jaja Wachukwu who became first
Nigerian House of representatives speaker, took over from Sir Frederick
Melcalfe of Britain
in 1959
26.
On first October 1960, Jaja Wachukwu
received Nigeria’s Instrument
of Independence (also known as Freedom of
charter) from princess Alexandra of Kent
who was the Queen’s representatives at the Nigeria independence ceremonies
27.
The first political parties to
contest elections in post-independent Nigeria
were; national convention of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), Nigeria
People’s Congress(NPC), and Action Group (AG)
28.
Nigeria gain independence on 1st,
October 1960.
29.
The first government formed after
independence was formed by a coalition of two parties-the NCNC and NPC
30.
Northern and southern Cameroon which had been
part of Nigeria before Nigeria gained independence were given two options; to
stay with Nigeria or to go. Southern Cameroon chose to stay with Nigeria while Northern
Cameroon left.
31.
On 7th October 1960, Nigeria was admitted
to United Nations as 99th member.
32.
At independence Nigeria
practised Parliamentary system of Government
33.
Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikwe was Nigeria’s
governor- general after the granting of independence in 1960
34.
The highest court in Nigeria before 1963 was the Royal Privy council
in London
35.
In 1963, Nigeria became a republic
36.
With the declaration of Nigeria as a Republic, Nigeria’s highest court becomes the Supreme
Court of Nigeria
37.
Dr. Benjamin Nnamdi Azikwe became the First
and Last Ceremonial president of Nigeria
when Nigeria was declared a Federal Republic in 1963.
38.
While Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
became the first and the last prime minister of Nigeria.
39.
The first fight among Nigeria
legislators took place in the Western region legislative house between
Akintola’s supporters and Awolowo’s supporters
40.
Nigeria 1965 election produced controversial results which set the new country
on the path to civil war
41.
On January 15, 1966 Major General Kaduna Patrick Nzengun, a
Nigerian of Delta Igbo extraction led the first Military coup against the
civilian government. He said and I quote; “……….
42.
Major-general Johnson Thomas Umunakwe
Aguinyi-Ironsi, a Nigerian of Igbo extraction foiled the first military coup in
Lagos and he became the First Military Head of
state in Nigeria
on January 16th, 1966
43.
Another coup was staged by the
Nigerian army and a young brilliant Nigerian from plateau state, called General
Yakubu Gowon became the head of state of Nigeria
44.
In May 1967, Lt. Gol Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu who
was the Military governor of the eastern region declared the independence of
the eastern region as the federal republic
of Biafra
(PAUSES)
45.
A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Divided we fall, united we stand. But things have fallen apart again, and the
central could no longer hold. A bloody civil WAR was loosed upon Nigeria.
46.
The Nigerian civil war started in
1967 and ended in 1970. Over 3.5 million Nigerians were killed in the civil war
47.
In 1975, young soldiers who wanted to ensure a
return of Nigeria
to democratic rule staged another coup. They brought in General Murtala
Mohammad Ramat, a Hausa man trained in British Military
Academy at Sadhurst as
the next military head of state
48.
On February 13 1976, General Murtala
Mohammad was assassinated in a coup believed to have been led by Dimka
49.
The Dimka coup was aborted.
50.
General Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo from
Ogun state who was chief of army staff under general Murtala Ramat Mohammad
government became head of state of Nigeria On February 13, 1976
51.
On October 1st 1979 General Olusegun
Aremu Obasanjo handed power to a civilian Government
52.
Nigeria adopted presidential system of Government in 1979
53.
Alhaji Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari
became the first civilian Executive president of Nigeria on 1st October
1979. He is from Sokoto in the North.
54.
In 1983, on Newyear’s eve, General
Muhammadu Buhari from the northern state of Katsina overthrew the civilian
government on charges of corruption
55.
General Muhammadu Buhari ruled Nigeria from
December 31st 1983 – August 27th 1985.
56.
In a bloodless palace coup, General
Ibrahim Badomasi Banbagidi, a member of the supreme military council overthrew
the government of general Muhammadu on the claims that the government misused
powers and violated human rights
57.
In 1989 a new constitution modeled
on the 1979 constitution was completed
58.
In October 1989, the military
government established two parties, namely the National Republican Convention
(NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Other parties were not allowed to
register
59.
In 1990, 69 accused of plotting a failed coup
were executed after secret trials before military tribunals
60.
Violent-free local government
elections were held in 1990
61.
In 1991, state legislative elections were
held. These elections were later cancelled.
62.
On June 12 1993, presidential
election was held. Chief Moshood kashimawo Olawole Abiola won the elections.
63.
On June 23rd, 1993, General Ibrahim
Babangida annulled the June 12 presidential election.
64.
The annulment of the presidential election
resulted in riots and over one hundred people were killed
65.
Chief Ernest Adegunle Shonekan, A British
trained Nigerian lawyer was appointed as interim president of Nigeria on 26,
August, 1993 by General ibrahim Baabagida
66.
General Sani Abacha who was Defense
Minister overthrew Chief Shonekan and became the de facto president of Nigeria from
1993 to 1998
67.
On 17 August 1994, Sani Abacha dismissed the
leadership of the NLC and the Petroleum Unions which called for strikes to
protest the arrest of MKO Abiola; placed the two unions under appointed
administrators and arrested Frank kokori and other labour leaders
68.
On October 1, 1995, Abacha announced the
timetable for a 3-year transition to civilian rule
69.
On the 21st of December
1997, the military government of Sani Abacha arrested General Oladipo diya, ten
officers and eight civilian’s accusing them of trying to overthrow him
70.
general Oladipo Diya and eight others were
sentenced to death in 1997
71.
On June 8 1998, Abacha died of heart
failure
72.
Upon the Death of abacha, General Abdulsalami
Abubakar was appointed head of state.
73.
In August 1998, Abubakar appointed the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections
74.
Former Military head of state, General
Olusegun Obasanjo contested as a civilian candidate and won the presidential
election. On May 29, 1999, the civilian President, chief Olusegun Aremu
Obasanjo was sworn in as the president of Nigeria. The fourth republic has
thus begun.
75.
In November, 1999 the army destroyed
the town of Odi
in Bayelsa state killing a good number of civilians as retaliation for the
murder of twelve policemen by a local gang.
76.
Over 1000 people were killed in
riots in Kaduna
between February and May 2000 over the enactment of criminal sharia in the
state
77.
In may 2007, Alhaji Umuru Musa Yar’Adua became
the president of Nigeria
78.
On 13 January 2010, a federal court gave Dr. Jonathan Ebele Goodluck
Azikwe who was Nigeria’s
Vice-President, the power to carry out state affairs while President Umaru Yar'Adua was ill and
receiving treatment in a hospital in Saudi
Arabia.
79.
On May 5th 2010 president
Yar’Adua died
80.
Upon the death of President Yar’ Adua, Dr.
Jonathan Ebele Goodluck Azikwe became substantive president on 6 May 2010,[13]
becoming Nigeria's
14th Head of State
81.
On May 29 2011, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan became
elected president of Nigeria.
He is the first Niger Deltan
to become civilian executive president of Nigeria since independence. The
presidential election that brought him to power remain the most fair and most
predictable in Nigerian history because he was not just a party candidate but
the candidate of majority of Nigerian households.
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