INITATION:

The history of Nigerian Independence is synonymous with the name Nnamdi Azikiwe, the legend of Zik of Africa. Let's talk briefly on this icon and see what we can learn from his existence sometime in the past.

BIRTH DATE:

Nnamdi Azikiwe was born on November 16th, 1904 at Zungeru, in the present day Niger State in the Northern part of Nigeria. His parents were Rachel Chinwe Ogbenyeanu (mother), and Obed-Edom Chukwuemeka Azikiwe (father). They were from Onitsha, Anambra State, in Igboland, that is Eastern part of Nigeria, but they lived in the Northern part of the country.

Rachel Chinwe Ogbenyeanu Azikiwe (1883 – 1958), was the third daughter of Aghadiuno Ajie, she was the linage of a royal family in Onitsha; her great-grandfather Ugogwu Anazenwu, was once the Obi of Onitsha ancient kingdom.

Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe learned to speak Hausa language which was the official language of the Northern Region. Later he to live with his aunt and grandmother in his hometown Onitsha, there he learnt Igbo language. When he was living in Lagos State, he exposed to Yoruba language. He spoke the three major indigenous languages in Nigeria. He knew and practiced also the cultures of the people he spoke their languages.

EDUCATION:

Nnamdi Azikiwe studied in many primary and post- primary missionary schools within Onitsha; Calabar; and Lagos. Nnamdi Azikiwe
travelled so much. He traveled to U.S.A. where Benjamin was added to his name. He studied at Storer College; Columbia University; University of Pennsylvania; Howard University; Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He received multiple degree certificates: bachelor and master degree' certificates.

He met the colonial officials requesting to represent Nigeria in 1932 Los Angeles Olympics as a sportsman. In 1934, he returned to Africa, was working as a journalist in Ghana.

MARRIAGE/FAMILY:

Nnamdi Azikiwe married his first, Flora Ogoegbunam in the year 1936; she died in the year 1983. He married the second wife, Uche Ewah in the year 1973. His union with these two women was blessed with seven children, namely:

• Chukwuma Azikiwe,
• Chukwuemeka Azikiwe,
• Nwachukwu Azikiwe,
• Ngozi Azikiwe, and three others from the second wife.

CAREER:

Azikiwe played American football, Storer College in 1926. He believed that the European a better God which they were forcing everyone, mostly the African to worship. The European wax using every strategy available to force the African to forsake his god for the European god.

Azikiwe was very active in the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM), which was the Nigerian first nationalist union.

POLITICS:

• In 1934, he went to Ghana and founded a national newspaper there, he mentored Kwame Nkrumah who later became the first president of Ghana.

• He returned permanently to Nigeria in 1937.

• In 1944 he became the first president of the first youth organization known as Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM).

• In 1948, Azikiwe was elected into the Nigerian Legislative Council.

• In 1954 to 1959, he served as premier of the Eastern region of Nigeria.
  .

• From 1963 to 1966, he became the first president of Independent Nigeria, under a political party he founded:
  National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), the party became so strong that it identified with every Igbo person in Nigeria.

ACHIEVEMENT:

Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe achieved a lot in his life time.
He was the first Senate president, governor-general, finally, the first president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the conflict over the republic of Biafra (1967–70), Azikiwe was first in support of his fellow Igbo people. He tried in earnest in the year 1968 to get recognition of Biafra, as well as helping other African countries. In 1969, he found out the hopelessness of the civil war, he surrendered his support to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

General Olusegun Obasanjo returned the government to civilian in 1979. Election was not in the favour of Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe as a president under "Nigerian People’s Party (NPP)".

He served as chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka from the year 1961 to 1966, he served as the president of several sports organizations such as: football, boxing, and table tennis.
He was a writer, among his writings are Renascent Africa (1937) and an autobiography: My Odyssey (1970).

DEATH:

Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe died on May 11th, 1996 in Enugu at the age of 91. He was buried at Zik's Mausoleum, Nkpor.

LESSONS TO LEARN:

Nnamdi Azikwe was a patriotic nationalist, he had the unity of Nigeria at heart.

He was so much interested in education and hard work.
Nigeria can never be better than its leaders, the future belongs to those who work for it.

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