October 1, 2022

Nigeria Independence Day 2022

October 1, 2022

Nigeria Independence Day 2022

Happy #IndependenceDay! 🇳🇬

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria’s proclamation of independence from British rule on 1 October 1960.

In 1914, the Southern Nigeria Protectorate was combined with the Northern Nigeria Protectorate to create the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, which has the borders of modern-day Nigeria.

By the late 1950s, the call for independence of territories in Africa, and the affirmation of the Nigeria Independence Bill at the House of Commons on 15 July 1960 led to Nigeria being granted independence on 1 October 1960 as the Federation of Nigeria. Three years later, the constitution was amended and the country was declared the Federal Republic of Nigeria with Nnamdi Azikiwe, previously Governor-General, as the first President.

On this historic day in 1960, Lieutenant David Ejoor, who later became the Chief of Army Staff, had the honor of commanding the guard at the midnight flag raising ceremony.

On 1st October 1960 #Nigeria entered its new status of independence, not after commotion and strife as some other colonial territories had done, but rather after practical experience of the federal system which we decided to adopt, and with general agreement, to maintain, wishing to be independent and to be democratic and also incorporated into our Constitution a carefully drawn up Bill of Rights. Nigeria willingly accepted a Parliamentary system with reasonable and natural adaptations to our own traditions, including, as an essential part of parliamentary democracy, that there should always be a respected and vigorous opposition, freely and fully entitled to express their point of view.

Let’s renew our vision with replenished hopes and prayers for Nigeria, the most populous nation in the continent of Africa’s extraordinary diversity and unity in race, in religion and in social and economic development.

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