Nigeria Timeline

Welcome to our timeline page for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This page contains key events and happenings in Nigeria from 1960 till date.

Data last updated: April 7, 2026

DateEvent
March 29, 2026Palm Sunday Attack in Jos Kills 27
March 18, 2026Tinubu’s Historic UK State Visit
March 16, 2026Maiduguri Triple Suicide Bombings
March 5, 2026ISWAP Mass Abduction in Ngoshe, Borno
February 16, 2026US Deploys 100 Military Personnel to Nigeria
January 31, 2026Fela Kuti Wins Posthumous Grammy Lifetime Award
December 25, 2025US Airstrikes on Nigerian Soil
October 1, 2025Coup Plot Foiled, Military Officers Arrested
June 26, 2025Tinubu Signs Four Tax Reform Laws
March 18, 2025Emergency Rule Declared in Rivers State
January 17, 2025Nigeria Admitted to BRICS
August 1, 2024“End Bad Governance” Nationwide Protests
July 18, 2024New Minimum Wage of ₦70,000 Signed
May 29, 2024National Anthem Changed Back to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”
April 3, 2024300% Electricity Tariff Hike for Band A
January 12, 2024Dangote Refinery Begins Production
October 26, 2023Supreme Court Upholds Tinubu’s Election
September 4, 2023Lagos Blue Line Rail Begins Operations
June 14, 2023Naira Floated / Exchange Rate Unified
May 29, 2023Removal of Fuel Subsidy by Tinubu
January 19, 2023Naira Redesign & Cash Crisis
May 29, 2023Bola Ahmed Tinubu Sworn in as President
March 20, 2021Burna Boy & Wizkid Win Grammy Awards
October 20, 2020#EndSARS Protest & Lekki Toll Gate Shooting
July 12, 2019Nollywood Becomes the Second Largest Film Industry in the World
May 31, 2018#NotTooYoungToRun Bill Passed
May 29, 2015Muhammadu Buhari Becomes President
April 14, 2014Chibok Girls Kidnapping by Boko Haram
April 7, 2014Nigeria Becomes Africa’s Largest Economy
October 2, 2012Oil Subsidy Removal Protests Begin
January 2, 2012Occupy Nigeria — Fuel Subsidy Removal Protests
December 16, 2011Introduction of Cashless Policy by CBN
May 5, 2010President Yar’Adua Dies
July 30, 2009Boko Haram Founder Mohammed Yusuf Killed
June 25, 2009Niger Delta Amnesty Programme Launched
August 14, 2008Bakassi Peninsula Handed to Cameroon
May 29, 2007Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Becomes President
April 21, 2005Nigeria Clears $30 Billion Paris Club Debt
October 27, 1999Introduction of Sharia Law in Northern Nigeria
May 29, 1999Start of the Fourth Republic
July 7, 1998MKO Abiola Dies in Detention
June 8, 1998Death of General Sani Abacha
August 3, 1996Nigeria Wins Olympic Gold in Football
November 10, 1995Ken Saro-Wiwa Hanged With Eight Others
June 21, 1994Nigeria’s Super Eagles Play in Their First FIFA World Cup
November 17, 1993General Sani Abacha Overthrows Shonekan
August 26, 1993Babangida Steps Down
June 12, 1993Presidential Election & Annulment of 1993
May 22, 1992Deregulation of the Banking Sector
December 12, 1991Abuja Becomes Nigeria’s Capital
August 27, 1991Creation of 30 States
April 22, 1990Failed Coup Against Babangida
June 4, 1986Introduction of Structural Adjustment Program (SAP)
August 27, 1985Military Coup of 1985
January 17, 1983“Ghana Must Go” — Mass Deportation of 2 Million Immigrants
December 31, 1983Military Coup of 1983
March 22, 1980Nigeria Wins First AFCON Title
October 1, 1979Return to Civilian Rule
May 22, 1977Introduction of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
January 15, 1977FESTAC ‘77
February 3, 1976Creation of 19 States
February 1, 1976Abuja Chosen as Nigeria’s New Federal Capital
February 13, 1976General Murtala Mohammed Assassinated
July 29, 1975General Yakubu Gowon Overthrown
January 22, 1973Plane crash in Kano killing 176 people
July 12, 1971Nigeria Joins OPEC
July 12, 1971Nigeria joins Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC
January 15, 1970End of the Biafran War
August 9, 1967Biafra Invades Mid-West Region
May 27, 1967Nigeria Restructured: 12 States Replace 4 Regions
January 5, 1967Aburi Accord — Last Chance for Peace
July 6, 1967Start of the Biafran War
September 29, 1966Anti-Igbo Pogrom in Northern Nigeria
February 23, 1966Secession of the “Niger Delta Republic”
January 16, 1966Formation of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria
July 29, 1966Counter-Coup of 1966
January 15, 1966First Military Coup
October 11, 19651965 Western Nigeria Regional Elections and the Political Crisis
June 1, 1965Completion of the Port Harcourt Refinery
December 1, 19641964 Tiv Uprising
December 1, 1964National parliamentary election
October 1, 1963Nigerian First Republic
June 1, 1962Tennessee Nigeria Offshore Oil Licence
February 11, 19611961 British Cameroons referendum
October 1, 1960Independence
March 4, 1958Establishment of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
March 14, 1957First Miss Nigeria Pageant
January 15, 1956Discovery of Oil at Oloibiri
October 22, 1954Lyttleton Constitution Introduced
July 11, 1946Richard Constitution Introduced
November 20, 1929Aba Women’s Riot
March 12, 1922Clifford Constitution Introduced
January 1, 1914Amalgamation of Northern & Southern Nigeria
March 15, 1903British Conquest of the Sokoto Caliphate