1966 in Nigeria

Years in Nigeria:	1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Years:	1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

Events in the year 1966 in Nigeria.

Military coup

On January 15, 1966, Nigeria was jolted awake by its first military coup d'état. Across the country, high-ranking politicians, including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Festus Okotie-Eboh, and Ladoke Akintola, were assassinated by young, ambitious officers. The coup was orchestrated by a group of young majors and was subsequently referred to as the "Coup of the Five Majors", after a comment made by its most visible member, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. The mutineers overthrew several cities but were overpowered and imprisoned after two days.

A new government was formed, and Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi became Head of State. However, six months later, a counter-coup occurred during which he and his host, Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, were assassinated. Yakubu Gowon succeeded him.

Individuals of Igbo descent, particularly those from the Eastern Region, were targeted in several violent attacks. Chinua Achebe's book "There Was a Country" provides a powerful personal account of these events.^[1] He recounts how soldiers searched for him at his former address and then his office, apparently suspecting that his novel A Man of the People was connected to the coup.

According to historical accounts, in October 1966, the Federal Public Service Commission relieved 40 non-Eastern Nigerian workers of their duties, giving them an ultimatum to return to their home regions or permanently forfeit their jobs. Fearing for their safety amidst the ongoing unrest, these individuals fled the areas where they had previously been employed across the country.^[2]

Agriculture

Prior to the oil boom, Nigeria's economy was largely agrarian, with the Kano Groundnut Pyramids serving as a prominent feature in the northern region. These pyramids, consisting of thousands of bagged groundnuts, thrived as a hub of business activity, providing significant financial windfall for local farmers as the crop was exported globally.^[3]

Sports

In November 1966, at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica, Nigerian athlete Samuel Igun won the gold medal in the hop, step, and jump event, setting a new games record and placing Africa on the global sporting map.

Entertainment

That same year, Nigerian musician Sir Victor Uwaifo received the first-ever gold record in Africa for his hit song "Joromi", which was presented to him by Mr. Jan Lewen, the Managing Director of Philips Records West Africa.^[4]

Incumbents

President:
- Until 16 January: Nnamdi Azikiwe
- 16 January – 29 July: Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
- 29 July – 1 August: vacant
- Starting 1 August: Yakubu Gowon
Prime Minister:
- Until 15 January: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
- Starting 16 January: position abolished
Vice President:
- Until 16 January: position not in existence
- 16 January – 29 July: Babafemi Ogundipe
- Starting 29 July: Joseph Edet Akinwale Wey
Senate President:
- Until 15 January: Nwafor Orizu
- Starting 15 January: position abolished
House Speaker:
- Until 15 January: Ibrahim Jalo Waziri
- Starting 15 January: position abolished
Commissioner of Defence:
- Until 15 January: Inuwa Wada
- 15 January – 29 July: vacant
- Starting 1 August: Yakubu Gowon
Chief of Army Staff:
- Until 15 January: Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
- 15 January – 29 July: Yakubu Gowon
- Starting 29 July: Joseph Akahan
Chief Justice: Sir Adetokunbo Ademola

Events

January

January 10, 1966 — Diplomats of the British Commonwealth meet in Lagos to discuss the Rhodesian secession crisis.^[5]
January 15, 1966 — The first of many military coups in Nigeria deposes the Nigerian First Republic; Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, was assassinated along with the premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello, and the Finance Minister, Festus Okotie-Eboh.
January 16, 1966 — The Federal Military Government is formed, with General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi as the Head of State and Supreme Commander of the Federal Republic.

July

July 16, 1966 —The "Lagos Convention" calls for Nigeria's entry to the Common Market of the European Economic Community. Babafemi Ogundipe signs on behalf of the government. The convention will remain unratified and no agreement will go into effect until the signing of the Lomé Convention in 1976.^[6]
July 29, 1966 — A counter-coup by military officers of northern extraction, deposes the Federal Military Government; General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi is assassinated along with Adekunle Fajuyi, Military Governor of Western Region. General Yakubu Gowon becomes Head of State.

References

^ Chinua Achebe (24 September 2013). There was a Country. New York: Penguin. ISBN 9780143124030.
^ Achebe, Chinua (2012). There was a country: a personal history of Biafra. New York, NY: Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-482-1.
^ Ekundare, Richard Olufemi (1973). An economic history of Nigeria 1860-1960. New York: Africana Publ. ISBN 978-0-416-75150-5.
^ Olorunyomi, Sola; Fela (2003). Afrobeat! Fela and the imagined continent. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. ISBN 978-1-59221-072-5.
^ "Anti-Rhodesia Plan Is Sought At Lagos Talk: Crush Riots Barring Diplomats Route", Chicago Tribune, 11 January 1966.
^ Victor A. O. Adetula, "Nigeria and the European Union: The Lome Years and Beyond"; in Europe at the Crossroads, ed. Basil R. Jones; New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2007; pp. 134–137.

[1] Chinua Achebe (24 September 2013). There was a Country. New York: Penguin. ISBN 9780143124030.

[2] Achebe, Chinua (2012). There was a country: a personal history of Biafra. New York, NY: Penguin Press. ISBN 978-1-59420-482-1.

[3] Ekundare, Richard Olufemi (1973). An economic history of Nigeria 1860-1960. New York: Africana Publ. ISBN 978-0-416-75150-5.

[4] Olorunyomi, Sola; Fela (2003). Afrobeat! Fela and the imagined continent. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press. ISBN 978-1-59221-072-5.

[5] "Anti-Rhodesia Plan Is Sought At Lagos Talk: Crush Riots Barring Diplomats Route", Chicago Tribune, 11 January 1966.

[6] Victor A. O. Adetula, "Nigeria and the European Union: The Lome Years and Beyond"; in Europe at the Crossroads, ed. Basil R. Jones; New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2007; pp. 134–137.

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Years in Nigeria:	1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
Years:	1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969

v t e Years in Nigeria (1960–present)
1901 1902 1904 1908 1909
1910 1913 1914 1915 1918
1922 1923 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929
1930 1932 1933 1934 1935 1938
1940 1941 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029

v t e 1966 in Africa
Sovereign states	Algeria Botswana Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Dahomey Egypt Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Morocco Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South-West Africa Sudan Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Upper Volta Zambia
States with limited recognition	Rhodesia
Dependencies, colonies and other territories	Ascension Island French Somaliland Mauritius Réunion Saint Helena Spanish Sahara Tristan da Cunha