As we approach May 29, 2023, and the inauguration of a new Nigerian leader and president for the most populous black nation on earth – Nigeria, we’ll begin a new series exploring the lives of past Nigerian leaders. This is the second in the series and we explore the life of Nnamdi Azikiwe. History provides us with a ‘painted canvas’ so we can understand the country better. Where we came from, where we’ve been and where we may be heading.
Nnamdi Azikiwe, popularly known as “Zik,” was a Nigerian statesman who played a significant role in the country’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule. He was born on November 16, 1904, in Zungeru, in what is now Niger State, Nigeria.
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Azikiwe’s early education was in Nigeria, and he later went on to study in the United States, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Lincoln University and a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Azikiwe became involved in journalism and politics, and he eventually founded the West African Pilot, a newspaper that championed the cause of Nigerian independence. In 1944, he founded the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), a political party that sought to promote the interests of Nigerians across ethnic and regional lines.
Azikiwe became the premier of the Eastern Region in 1954, and he played a key role in Nigeria’s transition to independence. In 1960, he was appointed as the country’s first president, following Nigeria’s independence from British colonial rule. As president, he worked to promote national unity and development, and he played a leading role in establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Azikiwe remained an influential figure in Nigerian politics for many years, and he served as the ceremonial president of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. Following a military coup in 1966, he went into exile in the United States but later returned to Nigeria in 1971.
There has been several arguments regarding Nnamdi Azikiwe’s survival of the 1966 coup in Nigeria. Azikiwe was an Igbo man, and his tribe, like many others in Nigeria, has faced its own challenges in the country’s complex history of ethnic and regional tensions. Did his tribal affiliation, which aligned with most of the coup makers, protect him from being targeted and killed? Some believe not – that it was not primarily based on his ethnic identity.
Azikiwe’s survival during the coup could have be the result of a combination of factors, including his position as a ceremonial president with no real executive power, his igbo identity, and his international profile and following. While ethnicity has certainly been a factor in Nigerian politics, particularly during the country’s early post-independence period, it may not accurate to attribute Azikiwe’s survival during the 1966 coup solely to his Igbo identity. It has to be stated however that some believe that he got a heads up from the coup plotters and was able to leave the country and avoid the consequences of the bloody takeover.
Azikiwe passed away on May 11, 1996, at the age of 91. He is remembered as a visionary leader who fought tirelessly for Nigerian independence and worked to promote democracy and development in his country. He is honored with several monuments and institutions named after him, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.