Daniel Otera
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 250 ethnic groups, carries a rich yet complex legacy of colonial rule and post-independence striving. Marking its 65th independence anniversary on 1 October 2025, the Federal Government adopted the theme “Nigeria @ 65: All Hands on Deck for a Greater Nation,” a call for collective action amid enduring challenges. According to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, this theme reflects the country’s resilience since 1960 and emphasises the need to consolidate past achievements while advancing under the Renewed Hope Agenda. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his national broadcast on Independence Day, echoed this sentiment:
“In 65 years since our Independence, we have made tremendous progress in economic growth, social cohesion, and physical development. Our economy has experienced significant growth since 1960.”
Yet, as celebrations unfold with inter-denominational services and subdued events (following the cancellation of the traditional parade due to security concerns), Nigeria’s journey demands a measured examination of verifiable milestones and metrics.
Drawing on data from the World Bank, United Nations, and official archives, this analysis explores the political upheavals, economic trends, social changes, and infrastructural developments that have shaped Nigeria over six decades.
Nigeria’s political evolution since 1960 has been a saga of fragile institutions tested by ethnic fissures and power struggles, punctuated by military interregnums that reshaped governance. The First Republic, inaugurated on 1 October 1960, embodied the optimism of founding fathers like Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, articulated a vision of unity during the 1957 London Constitutional Conference:
“I am pleased to see that we are now all agreed that the Federal system is, under present conditions, the only sure basis on which Nigeria will remain united. We must recognise our diversity and the peculiar conditions under which the different tribal communities live in this country.”
This federal framework balanced ethnic pluralism with regional premiers representing the North (Northern People’s Congress), West (Action Group), and East (National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons). By 1963, Nigeria transitioned to a republic with Azikiwe as ceremonial President, retaining Commonwealth ties.
However, electoral disputes eroded this foundation. The 1964 federal elections were marred by violence and fraud allegations, claiming over 160 lives in the Western Region alone (University of Central Arkansas archives). This unrest precipitated the first military coup on 15 January 1966, led by Majors Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, who assassinated Balewa, Ahmadu Bello (Northern Premier), and Samuel Akintola (Western Premier). The coup, perceived as Igbo-dominated, triggered a counter-coup on 29 July 1966, which installed Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon as Head of State following the assassination of Major-General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. Subsequent pogroms displaced some 250,000 Igbos from the North (BBC timelines).
The ensuing Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), sparked by the Eastern Region’s secession as Biafra under Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, remains a pivotal scar. Lasting 30 months, it resulted in an estimated 1–3 million deaths, mainly from starvation and combat (Encyclopædia Britannica). Gowon’s “no victor, no vanquished” policy facilitated reintegration but entrenched military dominance.
Subsequent coups in 1975 (Murtala Muhammed ousting Gowon), 1976 (Olusegun Obasanjo succeeding after Muhammed’s assassination), 1983 (Muhammadu Buhari toppling Shehu Shagari’s Second Republic), 1985 (Ibrahim Babangida deposing Buhari), and 1993 (Sani Abacha’s seizure) spanned 29 years of military rule characterized by repression and annulled transitions. Babangida’s annulment of M.K.O. Abiola’s 1993 electoral victory sparked pro-democracy protests, while Abacha’s regime executed activists like Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995, leading to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, established in 1999 with President Olusegun Obasanjo’s election, has been its longest-lasting democratic era. Peaceful transitions of power occurred in 2007 (Umaru Musa Yar’Adua), 2010 (Goodluck Jonathan following Yar’Adua’s death), 2015 (Muhammadu Buhari defeating Jonathan — the first democratic power handover between parties), and 2023 (Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeding Buhari) (Channels Television, 2015). Yet, electoral and security challenges persist. The 2023 presidential election, bringing Tinubu to power, was marred by irregularity allegations, ultimately dismissed by the Supreme Court (DW, 2023).
Meanwhile, insecurity remains acute. Boko Haram’s 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok drew global condemnation (BBC, 2014). More than a decade later, violence from banditry, kidnappings, and farmer-herder conflicts has displaced millions, exacerbating humanitarian crises (BusinessDay, 2023).
In his 2025 address, President Tinubu affirmed:
“We are now a Net Exporter: Nigeria has recorded a trade surplus for five consecutive quarters,” linking political stability to economic gains.
Economically, Nigeria’s post-independence trajectory shifted from agriculture to petroleum dominance. In the early 1960s, agriculture made up approximately 57% of GDP, over 60% of export earnings, and employed nearly 70% of the workforce (World Bank, 2021; Trade.gov, 2024). The 1956 discovery of oil in Oloibiri and Nigeria’s 1971 OPEC accession accelerated oil dependency. The 1973 global oil crisis saw annual oil revenues soar to over $25 billion by 1980 (CBN; Macrotrends).
This windfall funded large infrastructure projects like the Ajaokuta Steel Plant and cement factories under military regimes. However, mismanagement, exemplified by the 1975 “cement armada” crisis that congested Lagos ports, revealed inefficiencies (Britannica, 2023).
GDP per capita peaked around $2,500 in 1980 (World Bank). Yet, the 1980s oil glut slashed revenues by over 80%, pushing public debt to $18 billion by 1985 (IMF). The 1986 Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), led by Babangida, devalued the naira by over 80%, triggering inflation, 20% unemployment, and unrest (World Bank, 1994).
Nigeria rebased its GDP in 2014, doubling its nominal value to $510 billion and briefly becoming Africa’s largest economy (World Bank, 2015). Despite this, inequality persists: 2023 per capita income stands around $824, down from 1980s highs due to population growth and shocks, including fuel subsidy removals and currency reforms (AfDB, 2025; Trading Economics, 2025).
Signs of structural change appear. In Q2 2025, non-oil exports surged 173% to ₦7.46 trillion (~$4.74 billion), comprising 48% of total trade (National Bureau of Statistics). Oil production rebounded to 1.68 million barrels per day in 2025 from 1.0 million in 2023, and the 2024 Dangote Refinery launch marked progress toward energy self-sufficiency.
However, oil dependence remains paradoxical: the petroleum sector contributes roughly 9% of GDP but about 70% of government revenues, exposing Nigeria to Dutch disease and environmental damage from oil theft and spills (Wikipedia, 2025).
Nigeria’s economy grew at 3.84% annualized rate in Q4 2024, buoyed by post-pandemic recovery and reforms, though external shocks like COVID-19 and the Ukraine war exacerbate vulnerabilities (World Bank, 2025).
Nigeria’s population exploded from 45.1 million in 1960 to approximately 232.7 million in 2024—a 415.5% increase driven by a 2.5% annual growth rate. Projections estimate 401.3 million by 2050, making Nigeria one of the world’s most populous nations (Worldometers; UN, 2025).
Life expectancy improved from 38 years in 1960 to 54.8 years in 2025, reflecting healthcare advances and post-conflict initiatives (WorldData.info, 2025). Infant mortality declined from 74.7 per 1,000 live births in 2020 to 67.7 in 2025 (Intelpoint, 2025).
Yet poverty afflicts nearly 39% of Nigerians—about 87 million people in 2023—making Nigeria home to the world’s second-largest poor population after India (World Bank, 2023). Urbanisation climbed from 20% in 1960 to 56.2% in 2025, straining infrastructure and services, especially in informal settlements where hunger is common.
Literacy rose from 10% in 1960 to 62% in 2023. Still, approximately 18.5 million children remain out of school, disproportionately girls in northern Nigeria (UNICEF; Wiley Review of Education, 2023). Nigeria ranks among the lowest on the Human Capital Index, with children born in 2020 projected to achieve only 36% of their potential productivity without improved health and education (World Bank, 2020).
At independence, Nigeria had roughly 3,000 kilometers of mainly colonial-era railways (Britannica). Oil revenues in the 1970s funded projects like the Third Mainland Bridge and key roads, but austerity in the 1980s stalled expansion. Recently, Buhari’s administration completed the Lagos-Ibadan railway (completed 2021) and Second Niger Bridge (opened 2022) were realized with international financing (CNN, 2023).
Electricity generation remains insufficient, producing roughly 4,000 MW for a population exceeding 200 million, in contrast to South Africa’s 50,000 MW for 60 million people. Only 55% of Nigerians have access to electricity, with significant disparities across regions (World Bank).
Lagos port handles 80% of Nigeria’s trade but faces chronic congestion, imposing costs estimated at 4% of GDP annually (Finance in Africa).
President Tinubu’s 2025 reforms emphasize the strategic integration of Nigeria’s domestic market, with transport infrastructure investments positioned as critical drivers of new economic opportunities. This aligns closely with the World Bank’s priority on infrastructure-led growth and market connectivity (World Bank, 2025).
Despite progress, Nigeria’s health infrastructure still lags behind demand. Historical data from the Lancet Nigeria Commission highlights that between 1895 and 1960, only 189 hospitals existed, predominantly in the southern regions, leaving rural areas underserved. Sanitation access remains limited, exemplified by only 1% of Lagos households connected to sewer systems as of 2006 (Lancet Nigeria Commission, 2022; UNICEF, 2006). The country’s effective containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak demonstrated capacity for managing public health crises, yet neglected tropical diseases continue to afflict over 100 million Nigerians, posing ongoing challenges (WHO, 2014; Wikipedia, 2025).
Over 65 years since independence, Nigeria has evolved as a federation forged in diversity and resilience. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo reflected in his 2010 Independence Day address that those who fought for Nigeria’s freedom remain “our greatest heroes… recovering our dignity from foreign imperialism” (Obasanjo, 2010). While Nigeria’s nominal GDP has grown, per capita income has not kept pace, and population growth has intensified socio-economic pressures. With approximately 3.5 million youths entering the labor market annually and urbanization projected to reach nearly 80% by 2050, evidence-based policies are imperative to bridge divides and strengthen federalism (World Bank, 2025; ISS Africa, 2025).
In a 1 October 2025 address, President Tinubu underscored the urgency of collective action, stating in Pidgin English, “Fellow Nigerians, we dey race against time,” a call for unity amid ongoing challenges (Presidency of Nigeria, 2025).
This anniversary thus transcends celebration; it serves as a data-driven summons for all Nigerians to realize the promise symbolized by the Green-White-Green flag.