Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe was born on November 16, 1904, in Zungeru. In Igbo language Nnamdi means »My father is alive«. He was son of Igbo parents, father Obed-Edom Chukwuemeka Azikiwe and mother Rachel Ogbenyeanu Azikiwe. At a very early age, he was exposed to the inequities of colonialism, when his father, a civilian clerk for a British army regiment, was forced to leave his job because of discrimination. This sorrowful event had a major influence on his political attitudes and actions. He became the first president of Nigeria. |
Young Nnamdi had an insatiable quest for knowledge, but the rural life in Zunguru provided only the barest minimum of educational opportunity. In his early years, he spoke only the Hausa language. At the age of 8, he was sent to Onitsha to live with his paternal grandparents. Under their determined tutelage, he became fluent in the Igbo and Yoruba languages and eventually, English. Nnamdi was also carefully tutored in the great customs and traditions of his Igbo people and of the Nigerian nation.
His earliest formal schooling began at the Church Missionary Society's Central School at Onitsha and the Hope Waddel Training Institute at Calabar. After Nnamdi graduated from the Methodist Boys' High School in Lagos at the top of his class in 1925, his father granted him some funds to continue his education in the United States. He began his studies at Howard University and continued at Lincoln University, where he graduated in 1930. He obtained a masters degree in Political Science from University of Pennsylvania in 1933 and another masters degree in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1934.
In 1934, he returned to Africa, passing up Malinowski's offer of Doctoral pursuits at London University in favour of beginning his efforts on behalf of Africa. In November 1934, he made his debut as a journalist, becoming editor-in-chief of the African Morning Post in Accra, Gold Coast (which later became Ghana). In 1937, he returned to Lagos and founded the West African Pilot, which he used as a vehicle to foster Nigerian nationalism. He founded the Zik Group of Newspapers, publishing multiple newspapers in cities across the country.
After a successful journalism enterprise, Nnamdi entered into politics, co-founding the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) alongside Herbert Macaulay in 1944. He became its first secretary general in 1946. The prominence of the NCNC and the Igbo people grew under his leadership. He used the NCNC to push for various reforms, including universal adult suffrage, direct elections, control of the civil service by African ministers, and Nigerian control of the territory's armed forces. He became more of a thorn in the side of the status quo in 1947 when he became a member of the legislative council in Nigeria. In this position he strove to improve conditions for his people via changes in the constitution. During a 1947 visit to England, he told the British that big problems would result if Nigeria was not granted freedom in 15 years, according to an article in the New York Herald Tribune.
In 1952, he moved to the Eastern Region. He was elected to the position of Chief Minister and became its premier in 1954. Nnamdi instituted a new education program in his region, and had a major role in Nigeria becoming the leading exporter of students for study abroad in Africa. In 1954, he visited Europe, United Stated, and Canada with members of the Eastern region economic commission in order to promote investment for developments in textile, vegetable oil refineries, steel, and chemicals.
Nigeria gained its independence on October 1, 1960. On November 16, he became the Governor General. Three years later, with the proclamation of a republic, he became the first president of Nigeria. Nnamdi and his civilian colleagues were removed from power in the military coup on January 15, 1966. During the Biafran war of secession, he became a spokesman for the nascent republic and an adviser to its leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. After the war, he served as Chancellor of Lagos University from 1972 to 1976. He joined the Nigerian People's Party in 1978, making unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 1979 and again in 1983. He left politics involuntarily after the military coup on December 31, 1983.
Many places in Nigeria are named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library of the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Press Centre in Lagos. His portrait also adorns five hundred naira note.
Nnamdi was nationalist who had the interest of Nigeria at heart and a pan-Igbo philosopher. Physically, he was an imposing figure in any crowd, more than six feet tall, broad shouldered and of very pleasant countenance. When he spoke, it was in a clear, mellifluous voice that at once pronounced the speaker's humility and authority. He also wrote over a dozen books on the struggle for African nationalism and other topics. Throughout his career, Nnamdi used his nationalist press, political connections, and kinship of his tribe to promote education, self-government, welfare, and progress.
He died on May 11, 1996, in Enugu, at the age of 91.
His earliest formal schooling began at the Church Missionary Society's Central School at Onitsha and the Hope Waddel Training Institute at Calabar. After Nnamdi graduated from the Methodist Boys' High School in Lagos at the top of his class in 1925, his father granted him some funds to continue his education in the United States. He began his studies at Howard University and continued at Lincoln University, where he graduated in 1930. He obtained a masters degree in Political Science from University of Pennsylvania in 1933 and another masters degree in Anthropology from Columbia University in 1934.
In 1934, he returned to Africa, passing up Malinowski's offer of Doctoral pursuits at London University in favour of beginning his efforts on behalf of Africa. In November 1934, he made his debut as a journalist, becoming editor-in-chief of the African Morning Post in Accra, Gold Coast (which later became Ghana). In 1937, he returned to Lagos and founded the West African Pilot, which he used as a vehicle to foster Nigerian nationalism. He founded the Zik Group of Newspapers, publishing multiple newspapers in cities across the country.
After a successful journalism enterprise, Nnamdi entered into politics, co-founding the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) alongside Herbert Macaulay in 1944. He became its first secretary general in 1946. The prominence of the NCNC and the Igbo people grew under his leadership. He used the NCNC to push for various reforms, including universal adult suffrage, direct elections, control of the civil service by African ministers, and Nigerian control of the territory's armed forces. He became more of a thorn in the side of the status quo in 1947 when he became a member of the legislative council in Nigeria. In this position he strove to improve conditions for his people via changes in the constitution. During a 1947 visit to England, he told the British that big problems would result if Nigeria was not granted freedom in 15 years, according to an article in the New York Herald Tribune.
In 1952, he moved to the Eastern Region. He was elected to the position of Chief Minister and became its premier in 1954. Nnamdi instituted a new education program in his region, and had a major role in Nigeria becoming the leading exporter of students for study abroad in Africa. In 1954, he visited Europe, United Stated, and Canada with members of the Eastern region economic commission in order to promote investment for developments in textile, vegetable oil refineries, steel, and chemicals.
Nigeria gained its independence on October 1, 1960. On November 16, he became the Governor General. Three years later, with the proclamation of a republic, he became the first president of Nigeria. Nnamdi and his civilian colleagues were removed from power in the military coup on January 15, 1966. During the Biafran war of secession, he became a spokesman for the nascent republic and an adviser to its leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. After the war, he served as Chancellor of Lagos University from 1972 to 1976. He joined the Nigerian People's Party in 1978, making unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 1979 and again in 1983. He left politics involuntarily after the military coup on December 31, 1983.
Many places in Nigeria are named after Nnamdi Azikiwe, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, the Nnamdi Azikiwe Library of the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Press Centre in Lagos. His portrait also adorns five hundred naira note.
Nnamdi was nationalist who had the interest of Nigeria at heart and a pan-Igbo philosopher. Physically, he was an imposing figure in any crowd, more than six feet tall, broad shouldered and of very pleasant countenance. When he spoke, it was in a clear, mellifluous voice that at once pronounced the speaker's humility and authority. He also wrote over a dozen books on the struggle for African nationalism and other topics. Throughout his career, Nnamdi used his nationalist press, political connections, and kinship of his tribe to promote education, self-government, welfare, and progress.
He died on May 11, 1996, in Enugu, at the age of 91.