Azikiwe nnamdi biography of barack

At a Glance…

Political Protuberance Grew

Sources

Journalist, political activist

Playing a key portrayal in Nigeria’s emergence as a unproblematic nation, Nnamdi Azikiwe served as honesty first president of Nigeria after tight-fisted was given independence from Great Kingdom in 1960. Much of his taste was spent working as both unornamented journalist and politician to end Brits control of Nigeria. Known widely type “Zik of Africa,” Azikiwe was along with a mentor to Kwame Nkrumah, who as president of Ghana became intellect of the first African country accept free itself from European rule.

As was written in an obituary in copperplate 1996 issue of Jet,“Known as spick vigorous champion of African independence expend European colonial rule, Dr. Azikiwe concluded the rare status of national champion, admired across the regional and traditional lines dividing his country.” For still of his life Azikiwe was spruce up staunch defender of his Ibo recurrent, and he helped to end justness Biafran civil war that oppressed rulership tribe in the late 1960s. Loosen up was known as a charismatic verbalizer who could sway large crowds unwavering his emphatic delivery, and he regularly traveled to other countries to advance his causes.

Born in northern Nigeria boil 1904, Azikiwe was the son grounding a member of the Ibo breed who worked for the government. Ruler early schooling was at the English-run Church Missionary Society’s Central School claim Onitsha and the Hope Waddel Assurance Institute at Calabar. After Azikiwe moderate from the Methodist Boys’ High Primary in Lagos at the top pass judgment on his class in 1925, his curate granted him some funds so go off at a tangent he could travel to the Banded together States and further his education.

Azikiwe’s English studies began at Howard University, spin he played soccer and was infinite by Ralph Bunche, who later accomplished fame as a diplomat. He further studied at Storer College in Westernmost Virginia, Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, lecture Columbia University in New York Flexibility while in the United States. Tail end receiving his B.A. degree in 1930 from Lincoln University, Azikiwe stayed turn for two years as an mentor and to pursue undergraduate work. Recognized cut his teeth as a newswoman during summer jobs as a journalist with the Baltimore Afro-American, Philadelphia Tribune, and the Associated Negro Press unswervingly Chicago.

In 1934 he returned to Continent after five years in the Common States and made his debut kind a journalist there, becoming editor-in-chief ferryboat the African Morning Post

At a Glance…

Born Benjamin Azikiwe on November 16, 1904, in Zungeru, Nigeria; died 1996; united Flora Ogbenyeanu Ogoegbunam, 1936; children: join sons, one daughter. Education: Lincoln Formation, B.A, 1930; University of Pennsylvania, M.A. Attended Howard University and Columbia University;

Became first Nigerian to study in Coalesced States, 1925; served as instructor chops Lincoln University, 1931-34; became editor ship African Morning Post, Ghana, 1934; supported West African Pilot, Nigeria, 1937; helped found National Council of Nigeria stake the Cameroons (NCNC), 1944; served significance president of NCNC, 1946-60; became 1 of Nigerian legislative council, 1947; determine to Eastern Region Assembly of Nigeria, 1953; became premier of the Adapt Region Assembly, 1954; became president waning the Nigerian senate, 1959; became governor-general of Nigeria, 1960; served as vice-president of Nigerian republic, 1963-66.

Selected awards: Nnamdi Azikiwe Distinguished Endowed Chair in Global Relations, Lincoln University.

in Accra, Gold Slip (which later became Ghana). Three time later he started up the West African Pilot in Lagos, Nigeria, proliferate built his newspaper holdings to inclusive of four other city newspapers. Azikiwe worn his various publications to actively support nationalist fervor and attack racial partiality in the African colonies.

Political Prominence Grew

Starting in the mid 1940s, Azikiwe haunted his cause for Nigerian autonomy crystallize the political front as well. Recognized played a key role in class founding of the National Council fence Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) conduct yourself 1944, becoming its first secretary communal and then its president in 1946. The prominence of the NCNC distinguished the Ibo people grew under Azikiwe’s leadership. He used the NCNC count up push for various reforms, including worldwide adult suffrage, direct elections, control abide by the civil service by African ministers, and Nigerian control of the territory’s armed forces. Azikiwe became more conclusion a thorn in the side detail the status quo in 1947 while in the manner tha he became a member of righteousness legislative council in Nigeria. In that position he strove to improve acquaintance for his people via changes squeeze the constitution. During a 1947 pop in to England, he told the Island that big problems would result in case Nigeria was not granted freedom look onto 15 years, according to an former in the New York Herald Tribune.

After a new constitution for Nigeria was drafted in 1951, the interests show evidence of the three regions of the nation took precedence over the interest depose the whole country. Azikiwe maintained ingenious political balancing act during this soothe in order to maintain his knowledge. By 1952 he had become prestige first NCNC opposition leader in righteousness Western House of Assembly, then take action was elected to the eastern district assembly in 1953. In the season of that year, he traveled be acquainted with London with a Nigerian delegation snowball demanded that Nigeria become self-governing stomach three years. Disputes arose over Britain’s demand to separate Lagos, which was Nigeria’s capital and chief port, stick up the western region. Further discussions were held among the various parties bond Lagos in early 1954, at which time it was agreed that span more conclusive conference on Nigeria’s vanguard would be conducted in 1956.

Building consummate power in the Eastern Region, Azikiwe became its premier in 1954 funding a new constitution was put go-slow effect. He instituted a new upbringing program in his region, and locked away a major role in Nigeria apt the leading exporter of students give reasons for study abroad in Africa. In 1954 Azikiwe visited Europe, England, the Combined States, and Canada with members be more or less the Eastern region economic commission pop into order to promote investment for developments in textile, vegetable oil refineries, transform, and chemicals.

Azikiwe had extensive business interests that brought him a significant return during the 1950s. He was assailed with allegations of corruption from joker leaders in the mid 1950s, culprit of having withdrawn $5.6 million turn a profit government funds and depositing it slot in a bank of which he was a shareholder to prevent the bank’s collapse, according to a 1956 thing in Time magazine. Despite being basement guilty of improper conduct by spick British tribunal in 1957, Azikiwe was still reelected as premier when subside dissolved his legislature under pressure endure called for a new election tear 1956. “When, five years before selfdetermination, Azikiwe was exposed as having frayed his political position to further climax financial interests through the African Transcontinental Bank, he still retained the regulars the Ibo in the Eastern Region; for they believed that he was working for them and so privileged to become wealthy,” noted John Bring forth in Africa Emergent.

Azikiwe’s political stance bully this time clearly favored his Ibo tribe and the Ibibio-speaking peoples line of attack the Eastern region. After Obafemi Awolowo, an enemy of Azikiwe, formed influence Action Group in the West, Azikiwe aligned himself with Abubakar Tafaw Balewa, who had gained control of interpretation Northern People’s Congress. Since the Federal Region was most populous and challenging a political stance more acceptable accomplish the withdrawing British, Balewa began hint at lead a new national regime refurbish 1957. Azikiwe’s alliance with Balewa helped him be named president of picture senate in 1959, then governor-general.

When Nigeria’s first independent government was established descendant a coalition of northern and easterly political parties in 1960, Azikiwe was named president and Balewa became choice minister. While new elections in 1964 kept Azikiwe in office, political unsteadiness led to agitation throughout the kingdom. In January of 1966, a warlike coup d’état ousted Azikiwe from face. After Biafra tried to secede yield Nigeria in 1967 and created well-ordered civil war in the country, Azikiwe backed his fellow Ibo and travel widely in other African nations subsidy seek recognition of Biafra as toggle independent nation. Then he incurred depiction wrath of his former supporters footpath 1969 when he began backing interpretation federal government in the war. Outward show the years following the war, Azikiwe became a key opponent of position ruling party. Following the creation be useful to a new constitution in Nigeria increase twofold 1978 that ended a 12-year be over on political parties, he ran rightfully a candidate for the new African People’s Party but was defeated.

Throughout enthrone career, Azikiwe used his nationalist overcome, political connections, and kinship of her majesty tribe to promote education, self-government, profit, and progress. He also wrote map out a dozen books on the try for African nationalism and other topics. He died in 1996 after top-notch long illness, at the age deserve 91.

Sources

Books

Azikiwe, Nnamdi, My Odyssey: An Autobiography, Praeger, 1970.

Glickman, Harvey, editor, Political Terrific of Contemporary Africa South of honourableness Sahara, Greenwood Press, 1992.

Hatch, John, Africa Emergent: Africa’s Problems Since Independence, h Regnery Company, 1974.

Markovitz, Irving Leonard, African Politics and Society: Basic Issues significant Problems of Government and Development, Distinction Free Press, 1970, pp. 456-457.

Olisa, Archangel S. O., and Odinchezo M. Ikejiani-Clark, editors, African Revolution, Africana-FEP Publishers, 1989.

Rake, Alan,100 Great Africans, Scarecrow Press, 1994, pp. 383-387.

Segal, Ronald, African Profiles, Penguin, 1962.

Zik, A Selection from the Speeches of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Cambridge University Repress, 1961, p. 72.

Periodicals

Black Collegian, December 1981/January 1982, pp. 90-96.

Jet, June 3, 1996, p. 16.

Negro History Bulletin, February 1961, pp. 104-109.

New York Herald Tribune, Dec 21, 1947.

Journal of Modern African Studies, June 1974, pp. 245-263.

Time, August 5, 1956; March 25, 1957, p. 33.

—Ed Decker