Notable Personalities In Nigeria’s History

Bishop Samuel Adjai (Ajayi) Crowther (1807 – December 31, 1891) was a linguist and the first African Anglican Bishop in Nigeria. Ajayi was captured by Fulani slave raiders in 1821 and sold to the Portuguese slave traders. Rev Dr. Crowther translated the Bible into the Yoruba Language and compiled a Yoruba dictionary. The Yoruba Bible (Bibeli Mimo) was completed in the mid 1880’s, a few years before his death.

Grace Alele Williams: Mrs Williams made her mark as a first class academian and later proved herself as a skilled administrator. She is one of the first Nigerian women to obtain a PhD in mathematics. She was also the country’s first female vice-chancellor (University of Benin 1985 – 1991)

Chinua Achebe (born November 16 1930) is a Nigerian writer, poet and crictic. A diplomat in the ill afted Biafran government of 1967 – 1970, Achebe is primarily interested in African politics, depictions of Africa and Africans in the west, pre-colonial African culture and the effects of colonialism on the African societies.

Akinola Aguda (1923 – 2001) was a Nigerian jurist and the former Chief of Justice of Botswana. Prior to becoming chief justice, he was a lawyer and a high court judge in the western region of Nigeria. He was the first indigenous African to head the position of Chief Justice in Botswana

Akinwande Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian writer poet and playwright. Some consider him Africa’s most distinguished playwright as he won the Nobel prize in Literature in 1986, the first African since Albert Camus so honoured. Soyinka has played an actice role in Nigeria’s political history.

Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (born October 21, 1932) from Oko Anambra State, Nigeria, was the second vice president of Nigeria, serving 1979 to 1983.

Dr Chuba Wilberforce Okadigbo (December 17, 1941 September 25, 2003) was the president of the Nigerian senate

General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi (born November 4 1933) was the leader of the secessionist state of Biafra in Nigeria (1967 – 1970) during the Nigerian Civil war and previously Military Governor of the Eastern region of Nigeria.

Dennis Osadebay (June 1911 – December 1994) was a Nigerian Politician, poet, journalist and former premier of the now defunct Mid-Western Region of Nigeria, which now comprises Edo and Delta State. He was one of the pioneering Nigerian poets who wrote in English.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku, GCVO, CON (born January 18, 1933) was the third Commonwealth Secretary General and the first African to head the post. He hails from Anambra State.

Festus Okotie-Eboh (1919 – 1966) was a prominent and flamboyant Nigerian politician and former minister for finance during the administration of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Okotie-Eboh was assassinated along with the Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa in the January 15, 1966 military coupwhich terminated the Nigerian first republic and thus civilian rule.

Chief Abdul Ganiyu “Gani” Fawehinmi (b. 22 April 1938) A distinguished lawyer, acclaimed author, publisher and philanthropist, he gained national and international recognition as a potent human rights crusader. Fawehinmi has been apprehended and interned by different Nigerian military governments on more than 35 occeassions since 1969.

Herber Macaulay (1864 – 1946) was a Nigerian nationalist, politician, engineer, journalist and musician. He was the grandson of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the first African Anglican Bishop in Nigeria. On June 24, 1923 he founded the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) the first Nigerian political party. Herbert Macaulay is regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism.

Michael Iheonukara Okpara (December 1920 – December 17 1984) was a political leader and premier of Eastern Nigeria during the First Republic.

Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (Often referred to as M.K.O Abiola August 24 1937 – July 7, 1998) was a Nigerian Yoruba businessman, publisher and politician, though he was an accountant by training. He ran for the presidency in 1993 and won but was denied the opportunity to become President when the election results were annulled by a court during the regime of Ibrahim Babangida.

General Murtala Ramat Mohammed (born November 8 1936 – February 13 1976) was a military ruler (Head of the Federal Military Government) of Nigeria.

Benjamin Nnamdi Azikwe (November 16 1904 – May 11 1996) usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikwe or informally and popularly as “Zik” was the founder of modern Nigerian nationalism and the first President of Nigeria holding the position throughout the Nigerian First Republic.

Obafemi Awolowo (1909 – 1987) was a Nigerian politician and founder of the Action Group political party. He was the first prime minister of the Western Region between 1959 and 1960.

Chief Anthony Eromosele Enahoro, the Adolo of Uromi, was born July 22 1923 in Uromi, Esan-land, in present-day Edo State. As a member of the Nigerian Federal legislature, on March 31, 1953 he moved the first motion for the Nigeria’s independence in 1957.

Samuel Ladoke Akintola or S.L.A (July 6, 1910 – January 15 1966) was a Nigerian politician, Lawyer, and orator. Akintola returned to Nigeria in 1949 and teamed up with other educated Nigerians from the western region to form the Action Group (AG) under the leadership of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Akintola was assassinated in Ibadan the capital of Western Region on the day of Nigeria’s first military coup of 15th January 1966.

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (December 1912 – January 15, 166) was a Nigerian politician and the first Prime Minister of an independent Nigeria. He was overthrown and killed in a military coup on January 15, 1966.

Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto (1910 – 1966) was a Nigerian politician and was the first premier of the Northern Nigerian region from 1954 – 1966. He was assassinated during the 15th January 1966 military coup which toppled Nigeria’s post independence government.

Tunde Idiagbon (14 september 1942 – 24 March 1999) was a Nigerian soldier and a one-time member of the Nigerian military junta which ruled that country. In this role he was de-facto second in command and was responsible for implementing many of the government’s policies. Chief amongst these was the War against Indiscipline (WAI) which was a campaign to eradicate corruption and disorderliness in Nigeria life.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun, Oludotun Ransome Kuti, October 15, 1938 August 2 1997) or simply Fela, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist and political maverick. He was jailed by most military ruler due to his song which was against government’s misrule. He died during the Abacha’s regime after he was released from jail.

Cyprian Ekwensi (born September 26 1921) is a Nigerian short story writer and children’s books author.

Kenulo “Ken” Deeson Saro-Wiwa (October 10, 1941 – November 10 1995) was a nogerian author, television producer and environmentalist and a political activistist that fought for the emacipation of the ogoni people. On November 10 1995 Saro-Wiwa and eight other MOSOP leaders (The Ogoni Nine) were executed by hanging during the Sani Abacha regime.

Aliko Dangote is a business man based in Nigeria. He was born in the year 1957. he is the owner of the Dangote Group which has operations in Nigeria and several other countries in West Africa. The dangote Group originally a small trading firm founded in 1977 is now a multi-billion naira conglomerate with operations in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Dangotes’s businesses include food processing, cement manufacturing and freight.

Michael Ibru (1932) is a prominent Nigerian businessman from Agbarha-Otor Delta State. He is the head of the Ibru Organization, one of the largest conglomerates in Nigeria.

Philip Emeagwwali (born in 1954) is a Nigerian born computer scientist/geologist who was one of the two winners of the 1989 Gordon Bell prize, a prize from the IEEE, for his use of the Connection Machine supercomputer a machine featuring over 65,000 parallel processors to help analze petroleum fields.