Nigerian History Series – Zik of Africa

Editor Biographies, Politics 30/05/2020

Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe 1904 – 1996

Nnamdi Azikiwe popularly known as ‘Zik’ was born on 16 November, 1904 in Zungeru (present day Niger State), in Northern Nigeria

Born to Igbo parents, he naturally became fluent in Hausa, the native language. His father, concerned about his son’s fluency in Hausa and not Igbo, sent him to Onitsha in 1912 to live with his paternal grandmother and aunt to learn the Igbo language and culture.

In Onitsha, Azikiwe attended Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Missionary School and Christ Church Anglican Primary School. He attended other schools in Lagos and Onitsha, where he completed his primary education at CMS Central School.

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Education

Azikiwe started his secondary education in Hope Waddell Training College. He later transferred to Methodist Boys High School in Lagos where he befriended classmates from old Lagos families. Those connections would later prove beneficial to his political career in Lagos.

After completing his secondary education, Azikiwe applied to the colonial service and was accepted as a clerk in the treasury department. His time in service exposed him to racial bias in the colonial government. Determined to travel abroad for further education, Azikiwe applied to universities in the United States and was admitted by Storer College.

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After two years of preparatory studies at Storer College, Azikiwe transferred to Howard University in Washington D.C. He also enrolled at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and obtained a Master’s degree.

Nnamdi Azikiwe subsequently obtained another master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

At Lincoln, he was a graduate-student instructor in the history and political-science departments, where he created a course in African History. During his time in America, he was a columnist for various African-American publications.

On returning from America, he was well-known and viewed as a public figure by some members of the Lagos and Igbo community. His writings in America had evidently reached Nigeria.

Zik The Journalist and Business Man

He became founding editor of a daily newspaper in Ghana and wrote a column in which he preached radical nationalism and black pride.

Azikiwe was tried and found guilty for sedition because of an article he published in May 1936. He was sentenced to six months in prison, but his conviction was overturned on appeal.

In 1937 he founded the West African Pilot, a newspaper which he used to promote nationalism in Nigeria. In addition to the Pilot, his Zik Group established newspapers in politically- and economically-important cities throughout the country.

Zik’s Athletic Club (ZAC)

Azikiwe was an enthusiastic athlete. He competed in boxing, athletics, swimming, football and tennis.

Football was brought to Nigeria by the British as they colonized. However, any leagues they formed were segregated and Nnamdi saw this as an injustice. He emerged as a leader in terms of connecting sports and politics at the end of the colonial period.

Nnamdi founded Zik’s Athletic Club (ZAC) which would open its doors to sportsmen and women of all races, nationalities, tribes, and classes. In 1942 the club went on to win both the Lagos League and the War Memorial Cup.

After these victories, Nnamdi opened up more ZAC branches throughout Nigeria. During the war years ZAC would usually play a match in front of a couple thousand fans. After the match, they would speak out against the injustices of colonization.

ZAC matches happened all over the country and it made the people feel a sense of unity and nationalism that would help them fight for freedom. Finally, after years of struggle, in 1959 the last British official left the NFA, and on August 22, 1960, a few weeks prior to its formal independence, Nigeria joined the world football body of FIFA.

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja

Politics

He entered politics, co-founding the National Council of Nigeria & the Cameroons (NCNC) with Herbert Macaulay in 1944. Azikiwe moved to the Eastern Region in 1952, and the NCNC-dominated regional assembly made proposals to accommodate him.

An impasse in the region led to the dissolution of the regional house. A new election returned Azikiwe as a member of the Eastern Assembly. He was selected as Chief Minister, and became Premier of Nigeria’s Eastern Region in 1954 when it became a federating unit.

‘Zik’ as Premier of Nigeria’s Eastern Region

Governor-General

Azikiwe became Governor-General in November 1960, with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister. When Nigeria became a republic in 1963, he was its first President. In both posts, Azikiwe’s role was largely ceremonial.

1966 Nigerian coup d’état

He and his civilian colleagues were removed from office in the military coup of January 1966 led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu. He was the most prominent politician to avoid assassination after the coup.

Interview following the military coup of January 1966 (Getty Images)

Azikiwe became chancellor of the University of Lagos from 1972 to 1976. Zik as he is also known, joined the Nigeria People’s Party in 1978, making unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 1979 and 1983. He left politics involuntarily after the 31 December 1983 military coup.

Demise

Azikiwe died in Enugu on 11 May 1996 after a long illness, and was buried in Onitsha.

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