The Federation of Nigeria was a predecessor to modern-day Nigeria from 1954 to 1963. It was a British protectorate until its independence on 1 October 1960. The Federation consisted of three regions:
Federation of Nigeria | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954–1963 | |||||||||
| Motto: "Unity and Faith" | |||||||||
| Anthem: God Save the Queen (until 1960) Nigeria, We Hail Thee (from 1960) | |||||||||
.svg) Territory of the Federation of Nigeria after integrating Northern Cameroons in 1961 | |||||||||
| Status | British protectorate (1954–1960) Sovereign state (1960–1963) | ||||||||
| Capital | Lagos | ||||||||
| Government | Federation as British protectorate (1954–1960) Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy (1960–1963) | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1954–1960 | Elizabeth II (as Queen of the United Kingdom) | ||||||||
• 1960–1963 | Elizabeth II (as Queen of Nigeria) | ||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||
• 1954–1955 | Sir John Stuart Macpherson | ||||||||
• 1955–1960 | Sir James Wilson Robertson | ||||||||
• 1960–1963 | Nnamdi Azikiwe | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1960–1963 | Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa | ||||||||
| Legislature | Parliament[1] | ||||||||
• Upper house | Senate | ||||||||
• Lower house | House of Representatives | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
• Established | 1954 | ||||||||
| 1 October 1960 | |||||||||
• Northern Cameroons integration | 1 June 1961 | ||||||||
| 1 October 1963 | |||||||||
| Currency | Nigerian pound | ||||||||
| |||||||||
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British rule of Colonial Nigeria ended in 1960, when the Nigeria Independence Act 1960[3] made the federation an independent sovereign state. Elizabeth II remained head of state as the Queen of Nigeria, as well as other dominions and commonwealth realms. Her constitutional roles in Nigeria were exercisable by the Governor-General of Nigeria.[4] Three people held the office of governor-general during the whole existence of the Federation of Nigeria:
- Sir John Stuart Macpherson 1954 – 15 June 1955[5]
- Sir James Wilson Robertson 15 June 1955 – 16 November 1960
- Nnamdi Azikiwe 16 November 1960 – 1 October 1963[6]
Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa held office as prime minister (and head of government).[7]
The Federal Republic of Nigeria came into existence on 1 October 1963.[8] The monarchy was abolished and Nigeria became a republic within the Commonwealth. Following the abolition of the monarchy, former Governor-General Nnamdi Azikiwe became President of Nigeria, as a ceremonial post under the 1963 constitution.[9][10]
Elizabeth II visited Nigeria in 1956 (28 January – 16 February).[11]
Stamps of the Federation
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Coronation stamp, 1953
Depicting the groundnuts harvest, 1953
Depicting tin mining in Nigeria, 1953
Overprinted to mark the Queen's visit in 1956
Commemorating the centenary of the city of Victoria, 1958
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "The Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria (1960)" (PDF). Worldstatemen.org. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- ↑ "Northern States – Arewa House". Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
- ↑ Nigeria Independence Act 1960, 8 & 9 Eliz. 2 c.55
- ↑ Benjamin Obi Nwabueze (1982). A Constitutional History of Nigeria. C. Hurst & Co. ISBN 9780905838793.
- ↑ Kirk-Greene, A. H. M. "Macpherson, Sir John Stuart (1898–1971)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/37726. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
- ↑ French, Howard W. (14 May 1996). "Nnamdi Azikiwe, the First President of Nigeria, Dies at 91". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ↑ Umar, Fahad Muhammad. "Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa".
- ↑ Nigeria Republic Act 1963, c. 57
- ↑ "From Nnamdi Azikiwe | The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute". kinginstitute.stanford.edu.
- ↑ Nigeria's Forgotten Heroes: Nnamdi Azikiwe – "Father of the Nation" (Part 2).
- ↑ "Commonwealth visits since 1952". Official website of the British monarchy. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
External links
edit- "Nigeria: Polity Style: 1954-2017". Archontology.org. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- "Nigeria: Governors-General: 1954-1963". Archontology.org. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- "Nigeria: Heads of State: 1960-1963". Archontology.org. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- Ben Cahoon. "Nigeria". Worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- "COMMONWEALTH PRIME MINISTERS' CONFERENCE". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 4 July 1960. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- "NIGERIA (REPUBLIC) BILL". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 17 December 1963. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
- "ROYAL COMMISSION (Hansard, 18 December 1963)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 18 December 1963. Retrieved 26 January 2017.