Events in the year 1966 in Nigeria .
On January 15, 1966, Nigeria was jolted awake by its first military coup d'état. [1] 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. [2] 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. [3]
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. [4] [5]
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. [6] [7]
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. [8] [9] [10]
| 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 |
