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Obafemi Awolowo
Obafemi Awolowo | |
|---|---|
 Taken in 1959 | |
| Premier of Western Nigeria | |
| In office 1 October 1954 – 1 October 1960 | |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Akintola |
| Federal Commissioner for Finance | |
| In office 1967–1971 | |
| Preceded by | Festus Okotie-Eboh |
| Succeeded by | Shehu Shagari |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jeremiah Obafemi Oyeniyi Awolowo 6 March 1909 Ikenne, Southern Nigeria Protectorate (now in Ogun State, Nigeria) |
| Died | 9 May 1987 (aged 78) Ikenne, Ogun State, Nigeria |
| Political party | Unity Party of Nigeria (1978–1983) Action Group (1950–1966) |
| Spouse | |
| Relations | Yemi Osinbajo (grandson-in-law) Oludolapo Osinbajo (granddaughter) Segun Awolowo Jr. (grandson) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | University of London |
| Profession | Journalist, lawyer |
Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo (6 May 1909 – 9 May 1987) was a Nigerian politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Nigeria. He was known as one of the key figure towards Nigeria's independence movement from 1957 to 1960. Awolowo founded the Yoruba nationalist group Egbe Omo Oduduwa as well as the Premier of the Western Region under Nigeria's parliamentary system from 1952 to 1959. He was the official opposition leader in the federal parliament to the Balewa government from 1959 to 1963.
As a young man he was an active journalist, editing publications such as the Nigerian Worker and the African Sentinel, on top of others as well. He later became founder and publisher of Nigerian Tribune of African Newspapers of Nigeria Ltd.[1] After receiving his bachelor of commerce degree in Nigeria, he traveled to London to pursue his degree in law.[2] Obafemi Awolowo was the first premier of the Western Region and later federal commissioner for finance, and vice chairman of the Federal Executive Council[3] during the Nigerian Civil War.[4] He was thrice a major contender for the country's highest office.[5]
A native of Ikenne in Ogun State of south-western Nigeria,[6] Awolowo started his career, like some of his well-known contemporaries, as a nationalist in the Nigerian Youth Movement in which he rose to become Western Provincial Secretary.[1] Awolowo was responsible for much of the progressive social legislation that has made Nigeria a modern nation.[7] In 1963, he was tried and jailed for 10 years on charges of sedition.[8] He was pardoned by the government until 1966, after which he appointed the Minister of Finance.[9][10] In recognition of all of this, Awolowo was the first individual in the modern era to be named as the leader of the Yorubas (Yoruba: Asíwájú Àwọn Yorùbá or Asíwájú Ọmọ Oòduà).[11][12]
- ^ a b "AWOLOWO, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ Olalekan, falaye (18 May 2020). "See The PAPA AWOLOWO'S CAR That Toured The Whole 19 States During The 1979 And 1983 Presidential Campaign. |Nig24news". Nig24News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "Federal Executive Council - Nigeria Embassy Turkey". embassynigeriaturkey.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ "Obafemi Awolowo: Awo of The West". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 6 March 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
- ^ James Booth. Writers and politics in Nigeria. Africana Pub. Co., 1981, p. 52.
- ^ "Awolowo: the Lost President and a Nation In Grief, By Toyin Falola". 14 February 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ Historical Dictionary of the British Empire, Volume 1
- ^ "Nigeria Imprisons Opposition Head for 10 Years; Chief Awolowo Found Guilty After Long Treason Trial 17 Other Prominent Figures Are Also Sentenced Police Guard City 'Tools in a Grand Design'". The New York Times. 12 September 1963. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "The Generalissimo of western region's politics". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2022.[failed verification]
- ^ Mailafia, Obadiah (25 May 2020). "Looming fiscal crisis and wisdom of Awolowo". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ "PNF-Behandlungsverfahren", PNF in der Praxis, Springer-Verlag, pp. 5–22, 2005, doi:10.1007/3-540-27846-x_2, ISBN 3-540-23545-0
- ^ "Obafemi Awolowo | Nigerian statesman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
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