| 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 |
January |
Capture of Kano |
|
The British conquered most of Northern Nigeria, including the Sokoto Caliphate. |
| 1905 |
|
The British conquest of Southern Nigeria ended. |
| 1906 |
1 May |
Colonial Office amalgamates Lagos Colony with Southern Nigeria Protectorate. |
| 1908 |
|
German-owned Nigerian Bitumen Company began searching for petroleum off coast.[4] |
|
Protests against water fees in Lagos, encouraged by nationalistic journalism of Herbert Macaulay.[1] |
| 1912 |
|
Lord Frederick Lugard, Governor of Northern Nigeria, established a system of indirect rule. Creation of Southern Nigeria Civil Service Union; later, Nigerian Civil Servants' Union.[1] |
| 1914 |
January |
Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria were amalgamated into Nigeria. British Crown gained monopoly rights over mineral extraction. |
|
Nigerian soldiers fight under British command in World War I.[1] |
| 1918 |
|
The Adubi War is fought in Egba Land. |
| 1920 |
|
National Congress of British West Africa founded in Accra. |
| 1923 |
|
Clifford Constitution. |
| 1925 |
|
West African Students' Union. |
| 1928 |
April |
British begin direct taxation. |
| 1929 |
14 October |
New governor implements plans to expand taxation. |
| November |
"Women's War": Widespread revolt against taxation. |
| 1931 |
|
Founding of Nigeria Union of Teachers.[1] |
| 1936 |
|
Founding of Nigeria Youth Movement.[1] |
| 1937 |
|
Shell D'Arcy Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (later Shell-BP) granted petroleum exploration rights.[4] |
| 1944 |
|
National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons founded by Nnamdi "Zik" Azikiwe.[1] |
| 1945 |
|
Countrywide general strike.[1] |
|
Adoption of first Ten Year Plan for economic development.[1] |
| 1946 |
|
Nigeria entered a period of decolonization and growing Nigerian nationalism. |
| 1950 |
|
A conference of northern and southern delegates was held in Ibadan. |
| 1951 |
|
MacPherson Constitution. |
|
Yoruba-aligned Action Group founded; headed by Obafemi Awolowo.[1] |
| 1953 |
1 May |
Northern vs. Southern violence breaks out in the Northern city of Kano. |
| 1956 |
|
Shell-BP expedition makes first discoveries of major petroleum deposits, at Olobiri and Afam.[4] |
| 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. |
|
1959 Petroleum Profits Tax Ordinance establishes 50–50 split of oil revenues between corporation and government. Socony Mobil receives offshore oil license.[4] |
| 1960 |
|
The period of nationalism and decolonization ended. |
|
Tiv uprising. |
| 1 October |
Nigeria gained independence from Britain under Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa and President Nnamdi Azikiwe. |
| 1962 |
|
Tennessee Nigeria receives offshore oil license. |
| 1963 |
1 October |
Nigeria severed its remaining ties to Britain, marking the birth of the Nigerian First Republic. |
|
Amoseas and Gulf receive offshore oil licenses.[4] |
| 1964 |
1 December |
National parliamentary election. |
|
SAFRAP and AGIP receive offshore oil licenses. |
|
Another Tiv uprising heavily suppressed by police. |
| 1965 |
|
Elections held in Western Region. |
| Autumn |
Refinery completed at Port Harcourt; owned 60% by Federal Government, 40% by Shell-BP.[4] |
| 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 |
|
Genocide against people of Eastern Nigerian origin claimed the lives of many thousands mostlyChristian Igbo people This was carried out by the Muslim Hausa and Fula people. This triggered a migration of the Igbo back to the East. |
| 27 May |
Gowon announces further subdivision of Nigeria, into twelve states. These include subdivision of the Eastern Region which will undermine its political power. |
| 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. |
| 1971 |
|
Nigeria joins Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.[1] |
| 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. |