NG@62: 62 Facts About Nigeria’s History You Should Know

Nigeria, the Giant of Africa clocks 62 today.

Nigeria, which is known for her rich culture, divers’ tradition, tourist attraction, wealth producing natural resources and human capacity has her own share of good, bad and ugly moments which have made history over the years.

Today, as we celebrate the 62nd year of independence of this great Nation, here are 62 interesting facts about Nigeria you may not have come across.

1. Nigeria Independence @ 1960 and Republic @ 1963: These two dates are very important in the history of Nigeria. In 1960, Nigeria gained her freedom from the British colonel with a new constitution which established a federal system with an elected prime minister and a ceremonial head of state, but in 1963, the constitution was amended, with the country becoming the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with Azikiwe as President
2. The Ethnicity of Nigeria. There are an estimated 250 ethnic groups in Nigeria. In an attempt to stave off ethnic conflict, the Mid-West region was created in August 1963 by dividing the Western region. Despite this division, the country still was segmented into three large geographic regions, each of which was essentially controlled by an ethnic group: the west by the Yoruba, the east by the Igbo and the north by the Hausa-Fulani.
3. Nigerian Cultural Hairstyles now gone Global. For centuries Nigerians have been sculpting their thick, woolly hair into beautiful, complex designs. In the southeast of Nigeria, both men and women, particularly the adherents of Sango (the god of thunder and lightning), would mat or weave their hair backwards (cornrows). Other styles include threaded hair, popularized during the ’70s by the fashion-savvy. These hairstyles have now become the widely used and celebrated hairstyle across Africa and beyond.
4. The Name, Nigeria: Flora Louisa Shaw, a British journalist, novelist and wife of Lord Frederick Lugard  suggested name “Nigeria”  for the British Protectorate on the Niger in “The Times of London magazine” on the 8th of January, 1897. It was also believed that Nigeria takes its name from the Niger River that flows through the west of the country to the Atlantic Ocean.
5. The Nigerian National flag: The Nigerian flag was designed by Micheal Taiwo Akinwunmi in 1959, originally had a red quarter sun on the white part as a symbol of divine protection and guidance. It was removed by the independence committee.
6. High Fertility Rate: Nigeria has one of the world’s highest fertility rate. As of 2020, an average of 5.4 children are born per woman.
7. The Nigerian Currency: Nigeria changed from the British West African pound to her own currency, Nigerian Pound, in 1958, and then to Naira on January 1st 1973 and in 1976, 75 kobo exchanged to one British pound and 60 kobo to one US dollar
8. The Presidential Elections: On February 27, 1999, presidential elections were held in Nigeria. The victory was won by the candidate from the People’s Democratic Party, former head of state, retired general Olusegun Obasanjo, who had more than 60% of the vote.
9. Loan: Nigeria took its first loan from the World Bank in 1977.
10. The National Youth Service Corps: This was established by decree No. 24 of 22nd May 1973, during the military regime of General Yakub Gowon.
11. The African Art: Benin City in Nigeria was the centre of the Benin kingdom. Beginning in the 15th century, the kingdom gave rise to the first internationally recognized African art form known as the ‘Benin Bronzes’ (elaborately decorated brass and bronze sculptures).
12. The Nigerian Civil War: From 1967 to 1970, the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War) was fought between the Nigerian government and the secessionist state of Biafra. At its height, up to 12,000 people a day were dying from starvation. An estimated 1-3 million people were killed during the conflict.
13. The Capital of Nigeria: Until 1991 Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city in Nigeria, was also its capital. Nigeria moved its capital to the planned city of Abuja in 1991 as Abuja was more centrally located, more politically and ethnically neutral and less congested.
14. Nigeria Revenue: Petroleum, first discovered in 1956, is the most important source of government revenue and foreign exchange. Most of the oil output comes from onshore fields in the Niger delta although an increasing proportion of the crude is produced at offshore locations. There are oil refineries at Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna, Nigeria has been a member of OPEC since 1971. The Nigerian economy is one of the largest in Africa. Since the late 1960s it has been based primarily on the petroleum industry. A series of world oil price increases from 1973 produced rapid economic growth in transportation, construction, manufacturing, and government services
15. Education: In 1950 most schools were operated by Christian missionary bodies, which introduced Western-style education into Nigeria by the Great Britian, beginning in the mid-19th century. The British colonial government funded a few schools, although its policy was to give grants to mission schools rather than to expand its own system. In the northern, predominantly Muslim area, Western-style education was prohibited because the religious leaders did not want Christian missionaries interfering with Islam and Islamic education was provided in traditional Islamic schools.
16. The NOK Culture: Evidence of human occupation in Nigeria dates back thousands of years. The oldest fossil remains found by archaeologists in the southwestern area of Iwo Eleru, near Akure, have been dated to about 9000 BCE. There are isolated collections of ancient tools and artifacts of different periods of the Stone Age, but the oldest recognizable evidence of an organized society belongs to the Nok culture ( 500 BCE–200 CE).
17. The Nigeria Religion: At the beginning of the 20th century, most Nigerians were followers of traditional religions, but British colonial policies discouraged this to such an extent that by the time of independence in 1960 the great majority of the people were classified as Muslims or Christians. At the beginning of the 21st century, about half of the population was Muslim, slightly less than that was Christian, and only a small number claimed to follow traditional religions. However, many of those professing to be Muslims and Christians also openly performed certain ritesor rituals of traditional religions that were no longer condemned as they had been during the colonial period. While a supreme god (called Olorun Olodumare in Yoruba, Chukwu in Igbo, Osalobua in Edo, and Abasi Ibom in Ibibio) is central to many of the traditional religions, the deity is worshipped through a number of intermediaries or lesser gods.
18. Sports Victory in Nigeria: The 5 different years Nigeria won the FIFA Under 17 World Cup football fiesta are: 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015. Nigeria won the tournament in 4 Asian countries and one South American country. The Asian countries are China (1985), Japan (1993), South Korea (2007) and United Arab Emirates (2013). Chile (2015) is the South American country. Moreso, the countries Nigeria defeated in 1985, 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015 are West Germany (now Germany), Ghana, Spain, Mexico and Mali in that order. In addition, the score lines were 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.
19. Nolloywood in Nigeria: In 2016, Nigeria’s arts and entertainment industry contributed 54 billion nairas (€127,347,817.20) ($152,113,140) to the country’s GDP. The Nigerian Movie Industry (also known as Nollywood) is the second largest in the world (volume-wise) and the largest in Africa.
20. The Nigeria Rainforest: Nearly 95% of Nigeria’s rainforest has been destroyed. Mongabay described Nigeria’s forests as “some of the most threatened on the planet”. In 1999, the WWF predicted any remaining rainforest in Nigeria would disappear by 2020
21. Nigeria has a solid healthcare system: Nigeria reorganized its healthcare system with the Bamako Initiative in 1987. Today, Nigerians can choose between a three-tier government healthcare system, as well as private healthcare providers. Government healthcare focuses on a community-focused approach, aiming at improved access to medicines and other medical services. Success visibly shows in Nigeria’s HIV/AIDS rate, which averages at 1.5%, much lower compared to other African countries. The average lifespan in Nigeria currently stands at 54 years, again, much higher compared to its neighbors. 71% of Nigerians enjoy access to clean water, though, only 39% have access to modern sanitation. As of 2019, Nigeria only suffers an infant mortality rate of 74 deaths for every 1000 births
22. Queen Elizabeth II First visited Nigeria: During the colonial era with Britain ruling over Nigeria, Queen Elizabeth made her first visit to Nigeria where she spent 20 days from 28th January 1956 to 16th February 1956. Her visit was received with lots of fanfare and royal services. The Queen was picked from the airport in a Rolls Royce. She spent a lot of her stay in the northern part of the country with the Sultan.
23. The Third Mainland Bridge was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the October 6 Bridge was built in Cairo.
24. The Nigerian Civil War Started in 1967: In 1967, following two coups and turmoil that led to about a million Igbos (one of Nigeria’s most-populous ethnic groups primarily from the Eastern region of the country) returning to the south-east of Nigeria, the Republic of Biafra seceded. The Nigerian government declared war and after 30 months of fighting, Biafra surrendered. On Jan. 15 1970, the conflict officially ended.
25. Nigeria’s oil boom began in the 1970s. Oil profitability in Nigeria was greatest during the 1970s, when it became the wealthiest country in Africa.Within two years, state profit increased by almost 50%, to an all-time high of N5.3 billion in 1976.Nigeria bolstered profits when it joined the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1971, and the discovery of oil is widely believed to have influenced the course of the civil war.
26. A Nigerian was the first African recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.Wole Soyinka was the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, which he won in 1986, and he is also a prominent social critic and political activist. As an activist, he has been a voice for justice, freedom, and the end of tyranny. He has risked his life again and again to articulate the principles that provide the foundation for human rights, both in his native Nigeria and around the world.
27. Nigeria won its first Olympic gold medal in 1996. Nigeria’s most successful Olympic outing was the 1996 Olympics, with the men’s football team winning Gold, and Chioma Ajunwa also winning a Gold medal in the women’s long jump event. In total that year, Nigeria won two Gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals.
28. Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999. The 1999 transition of Nigeria from military to civilian, democratic government, was a defining moment in Nigerian history, representing the beginning of the longest, uninterrupted government since Independence in 1960. The presidential election took place in February 1999, and Olusegun Obasanjo, who as head of state in 1976–79 had overseen the last transition from military rule, was declared the winner.
29. Nigerian model Agbani Darego was the first African woman to win the Miss World pageant. Rivers State-born Agbani Darego was the first African woman to win the Miss World pageant — entering the history books with her victory in 2001. Darego has worked with top brands such as Avon, Christian Dior, Sephora, Target, and Macy’s and appeared in world famous magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire, Allure, Trace, Stitch, Cosmopolitan, and Essence. She remains Nigeria’s most famous beauty queen.
30. Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy in 2013/4: In April 2014 — looking back at the previous financial year — the statistics bureau of Nigeria confirmed the rebasing of the Nigerian economy’s gross domestic product (GDP) to $509.9 billion. This placed it well above South Africa’s nominal GDP of $322 billion and elevated Nigeria to the position of the largest economy in Africa.
31. Nigerians became the first Africans to qualify for the Olympics bobsledding event in 2018.Three Nigerian-American women — Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, and Akuoma Omeoga — made history and their Olympic dreams come true by being the first ever African bobsled team to qualify for the Olympics. They were also the first Nigerian athletes to compete in Winter Olympics as the first Nigerian head of government (prime minister). The country then had a population of over 45 million people.
32. Despite gaining their independence in 1960, Nigeria has remained a member of the British Commonwealth, an association of 53 sovereign states. The country is also a member of the African Union.
33. Nigeria is the seventh most populous country in the world, home to more than 200 million people. While that may be a lot of people, population numbers would likely be even higher if it weren’t for the country’s high mortality rates and low life expectancy.
34. The Spanish Flu Hit Nigeria Hard Ships passing through Nigeria’s ports in 1918 brought the Spanish Flu with them to the colony. It quickly spread across the coastal regions, and through the colonial transport infrastructure, into the interior. Statistics estimate that up to 1.5% of the Nigerian population at the time caught the disease. Of those, an estimated 500,000 would ultimately die from the disease. The epidemic also had the effect of the British taking drastic steps to stop the spread of the disease and limit the death rate. These included experimenting with traditional African medicine. They also imposed a quarantine, only allowing people with government-issued travel passes to move around. Other measures included mandatory measures to improve sanitation, with colonial officials even making door-to-door checks to see if Nigerian households did as required.
35. Nigeria was formed in 1914 when colonial authorities merged the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria, to form the amalgamated Protectorate and Colony of Nigeria.
36. The first Nigerian port used by European slave traders was Badagry, a coastal harbor.
37. Nigeria has 7% of the total languages spoken on earth. In fact, Taraba state alone, has more languages that 30 African countries.
38. The Nigeria-Biafra civil war was the longest lasting war the country has experienced, and it lasted for 30 months (1967-1970).
39. Nigeria’s first capital city was Cross-river, then it was changed to Lagos and eventually Abuja.
40. Malam Umaru Altine, a northern Fulani man was the first elected Mayor of Enugu, in the east, during pre-tribalistic times, and was even re-elected for a second term.
41. Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti, the mother of the legendary Fela Kuti, was one of the delegates that negotiated Nigeria’s independence in Britain.
42. Travel Visa was not required to travel from Nigeria to the United Kingdom till 1984.
43. A brand new car was once sold for N2000 in 1975. A ticket to London was less than N100 in 1975.
44. A dollar was 90 kobo at the beginning of Babangida’s term in 1985. Currently, it has risen to over 700 naira.
45. King Jaja of Opobo (1821–1891) founded Opobo city-state located in Akwa-Ibom in 1867, and shipped palm oil to Britain independently of British middle men.
46. The Obasanjo military regime converted Nigeria from a Parliamentary system to a Presidential system of government.
47. In 1967, General Yakubu Gowon split the four regions of Nigeria into 12 states.
48. Nigeria has the fourth largest number of languages in the world, with 521 actively spoken languages across different parts of the country.
49. Northern Nigeria (719,000 sq. km), occupies 80% of Nigeria’s land mass. In size it is four times the South East.
50. The First Storey Building in Nigeria was completed in Badagry, Lagos State in 1845.
51. Flora Shaw, who later became the wife of the colonial governor Frederick Lugard in the 1890s suggested the name Nigeria. She named the country Nigeria, after River Niger. In October 1, 1960, Nigeria got her independence. The experience from the different systems of government has helped the country to learn from her experiences.
52. In no particular order, Tobi Amusan through her victory became the first Nigerian ever to win gold at the World Athletics Championships after racing to a stunning world record time of 12.06s. This is Nigeria’s first ever world title.
53. The walls of Benin are the longest ancient works in the world and with over 500 communities at a distance of 6500sq.km.
54. The Anambra waxbill bird is found only in southern Nigeria and cannot be found anywhere in the world.
55. The indigo bird is only found in Jos, plateau And can never be seen in any part of the world
56. Nigeria has the 10th largest crude oil reserve in the world
57. Nigeria is among the top ten largest exporter of crude oil in the world.
58. The highest point in Nigerian is Chappal Waddi at 7936 ft
59. Nigerian legislators are among the highest paid legislators in the world
60. Nigeria had one of the highest number of coups in Africa with 8 coups attempts, of which 6 are successful.
61. Igbo-Ora, a town in Oyo, has the highest rate of twinning in the world. It also nicknamed the Twin Capital of the World.
62. Nigerian immigrants in the United States (US) are one of the most educated, according to CNN.