| Year |
Date |
Event
|
| 1901 |
|
Anglo-Aro war: The war began. The Aro Confederacy began to decline. (to 1902)
|
| 1902 |
|
Anglo-Aro war: The war ended.
|
| 1903 |
|
The British conquered most of Northern Nigeria, including the Sokoto Caliphate.
|
| 1905 |
|
The British conquest of Southern Nigeria ended.
|
| 1912 |
|
Lord Lugard, Governor of Northern Nigeria, established a system of indirect rule.
|
| 1914 |
|
Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated into Nigeria.
|
| 1918 |
|
The Adubi War is fought in Egba Land.
|
| 1946 |
|
Nigeria entered a period of decolonization and growing Nigerian nationalism.
|
| 1950 |
|
A conference of northern and southern delegates was held in Ibadan.
|
| 1953 |
|
A conference regarding Nigeria's federal formula was held in London.
|
| 1957 |
|
Nigeria held a Constitutional conference.
|
| 1959 |
|
Nigeria holds its first national election to set up an independent government. Northern politicians won a majority of seats in the Parliament.
|
| 1960 |
|
The period of nationalism and decolonization ended.
|
| 1 October |
Nigeria gained independence from Britain under Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and President Nnamdi Azikiwe.
|
| 1963 |
1 October |
Nigeria severed its remaining ties to Britain, marking the birth of the Nigerian First Republic.
|
| 1964 |
1 December |
A national election was held.
|
| 1966 |
15 January |
A military coup deposed the government of the First Republic. Balewa, Premier of Northern Nigeria Ahmadu Bello, and Finance Minister Festus Okotie-Eboh, were assassinated.
|
| 16 January |
The Federal Military Government was formed, with General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi acting as head of state and Supreme Commander of the Federal Republic.
|
| 29 July |
A counter-coup by military officers of northern extraction deposed the Federal Military Government. Aguiyi-Ironsi and Adekunle Fajuyi, Military Governor of the Western Region, were assassinated. General Yakubu Gowon became President.
|
| 1967 |
|
Violence between the Christian Igbo people and the Muslim Hausa and Fula people in Eastern and Northern Nigeria triggered a migration of the Igbo back to the East.
|
| 30 May |
Nigerian-Biafran War: General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, declared his province an independent republic called Biafra.
|
| 1970 |
8 January |
Ojukwu fled into exile. His deputy Philip Effiong became acting President of Biafra
|
| 15 January |
Effiong surrendered to Nigerian forces. Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.
|
| 1973 |
22 January |
A plane crashed in Kano, Nigeria, killing 176 people.
|
| 1975 |
29 January |
General Yakubu Gowon was overthrown in a bloodless coup. General Murtala Mohammed became Head of State.
|
| 1976 |
13 February |
Mohammed was assassinated on his way to work. His deputy, Lieutenant-General Olusegun Obasanjo, became Head of State and set a date to end military rule.
|
| 1979 |
|
Shehu Shagari won election to the Executive Presidency of the American-style Second Republic.
|
| 1 October |
Shagari was sworn in as President.
|
| 1983 |
|
Shagari won reelection.
|
| 31 December |
Shagari's government was ejected from power in a palace coup, marking the end of the Second Republic. General Muhammadu Buhari became Head of State and Chairman of the Supreme Military Council of Nigeria.
|
| 1984 |
17 April |
The Buhari regime promulgated Decree No. 4, the "Public Officer's Protection Against False Accusation" Decree, which made it an offence to ridicule the government by publication of false information.
|
| 1985 |
August |
Buhari was overthrown in a palace coup. General Ibrahim Babangida became Head of State and President of the Armed Forces Ruling Council of Nigeria.
|
| 1990 |
April |
Middle Belt Christian officers, led by Major Gideon Orkar, attempt to overthrow Babangida in an unsuccessful coup.
|
| 1992 |
|
Two political parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC) ware established by Babangida in an attempt to return to civilian rule.
|
| 1993 |
12 June |
Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola won a presidential election. Babangida annulled the results.
|
| 26 August |
Babangida stepped down due to pressure from the Armed Forces Ruling Council. Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan assumed power as Interim Head of State.
|
| 17 November |
Shonekan was forced to resign from office. Defence Minister Sani Abacha became Head of State and established the Provisional Ruling Council of Nigeria.
|
| 1995 |
13 March |
The Abacha administration arrested Obasanjo for allegedly supporting a secret coup plot.
|
| 10 November |
Human and environmental rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged with eight others.
|
| 1998 |
8 June |
Abacha died from a heart attack. Abdusalami Abubakar became Head of State and Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council of Nigeria and lifted the ban on political activity.
|
| 15 June |
Obasanjo was released from prison.
|
| 1999 |
10 February |
Obasanjo was elected President.
|
| 29 May |
Obasanjo was sworn in, ushering in the Fourth Republic.
|
| 19 December |
Obasanjo ordered the Nigerian Armed Forces to raid the town of Odi in the Niger Delta, in response to the murder of twelve policemen by local militia.
|
| 2000 |
27 January |
Sharia was established in the predominantly Muslim state of Zamfara.
|
| May |
Religious riots erupted in Kaduna over the implementation of sharia.
|
| 5 June |
The Obasanjo administration established the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to tackle human and ecological issues in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria.
|
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