#NigeriaAt55: 7 reasons to be proud to be Nigerian

Milestones in nation's history

October 1 marks the anniversary of Nigeria's independence. Go through the gallery to look at some
of the events that have shaped the country over the last 55 years.
Milestones in nation's history
1965 After gaining its independence in 1960, Nigeria becomes a republic in 1963, with Nnamdi
Azikiwe assuming the role of president. Two years later a federal election takes place, but many
question the transparency of the vote and suggest fraud. Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi
(pictured in the center) steps into the power vacuum and mounts a coup, starting what would
become over three decades of intermittent military rule.
Milestones in nation's history
Milestones in nation's history
1976 Afrobeat star Fela Kuti (seen here being honored at the first MTV Music Awards for Africa,
2008) and his band Afrika '70 release "Zombie," a scathing attack on the Nigerian military -- the
firebrand musician is a constant critic of the government. The authorities eventually retaliate,
sending hundreds of troops to lay siege to Kuti's commune. His mother is thrown out of a window
during the attack and subsequently dies, whilst the property is set on fire, destroying all of Kuti's
instruments and master tapes.
Milestones in nation's history
1986 Wole Soyinka becomes the first black African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. His work
often tackles issues of oppression and he is a vocal critic of the military junta, currently overseen by
General Ibrahim Babangida who had assumed power the year before. In the 1990s, Soyinka is forced
to flee Nigeria after General Sani Abacha seizes power.
Milestones in nation's history
1995 Political activist and writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others are executed, sparking
international outcry and forcing the Commonwealth of Nations to suspend Nigeria's membership for
violating human rights and the principals of democracy. The ban lasts until 1999.
Milestones in nation's history
1996 At the Atlanta Olympics, Nigeria stuns the world when its football team wins gold. The Super
Eagles beat Brazil and Argentina along the road to glory, winning 3-2 in the final.
Milestones in nation's history
Milestones in nation's history
2001 Agbani Darego wins Miss World, the first black African to do so. At the time the country is

going through a series of reforms. Two years before, the first civilian leader in a generation,
Olusegun Obabsanjo is elected, promising to tackle corruption and provide a more open form of
government.
Milestones in nation's history
2002 After 13 years of bitter dispute, the Bakassi Peninsula is ceded to Cameroon in compliance
with an International Court of Justice ruling. The decision causes consternation in Nigeria, but it
complies, formally handing over power in 2006.
Milestones in nation's history
2007 Umaru Yar'Adua succeeds Olusegun Obasanjo in the presidential election -- it is the first time
power is transferred between two civilians in the history of the Republic of Nigeria.
Milestones in nation's history
2010 Former Vice President Goodluck Jonathan is sworn in to office after the death of President
Umaru Yar'Adua. He goes on to win the 2011 election with 59% of the vote. In January 2012, he
faces criticism for removing fuel subsidies, causing the price of petrol to soar, a move that sparks
the Occupy Nigeria movement.
Milestones in nation's history
2014 Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, becomes the continent's largest economy thanks to a
long overdue "rebasing" of its GDP.
Milestones in nation's history
2014 In April Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram kidnaps more than 200 schoolgirls in
Chibok, Borno state. International outcry ensues across social media, but nearly over a year later the
girls have yet to be released.
Milestones in nation's history
2015 Muhammadu Buhari, 72, is elected President in March after campaigning on promises to fight
corruption and beat the terrorist group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. He was sworn in on
May 29 at a boisterous ceremony that marked the first peaceful transfer of power between rival
parties in the nation.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/01/africa/nigeria-55th-anniversary-independence/