By John Idumange,SSA Social media and Research to the Governor of Bayelsa State.

AS NIGERIA APPROACHES another INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY, WHICH WILL BE HER 52 YEARS OF NATIONHOOD, LETS TAKE A LOOK AT HOW FAR WE HAVE TRAVELED

Highlights of Nigeria’s National History, 1914 – 2010
Year Event
1914-1960 British Governors-General rule Nigeria

1960 Nigeria gains independence
1963 First military coup by Maj Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu
1966 Counter coup by Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon
1967 Nigerian civil war starts
1967 Gowon divides four region into 12 states
1970 Nigerian civil war ends
1972 Nigeria changes currency from Pound to Naira, introduces metric system
1973 Nigeria switches from left to right-hand driving
1973 Nigeria hosts all Africa Games
1973 Nigeria inaugurates National Youth Service Corps
1974 Gowon reneges on planned handover in 1976
1975 Birth of Economic Community of West African States
1975 Murtala Muhammed topples Gowon in military coup
1976 Murtala Muhammed increases states to 19
1976 Murtala Muhammed killed in a failed military coup, Olusegun Obasanjo takes over
1977 Nigeria hosts 2nd Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture
1979 Obasanjo Hands over power to Shehu Shagari, Second Republic begins
1980 Nigeria hosts and wins African Nations Cup, 1st time
1983 Gen. Muhammadu Buhari topples Shagari in a coup
1985 Gen. Ibrahim Babangida ousts Buhari in military putsch
1985 Nigerian wins 1st global soccer title (U-16 FIF/KODAK)
1987 Failed military coup led by Maj. Gen Mamman Vatsa
1987 Gen Ibrahim Babangida increases states to 21
1990 Failed military coup led by Maj. Gideon Orkar
1990 Nigeria spearheads formation of ECOMOG
1991 Ibrahim Babangida creates 9 more states, totalling 30
1993 Babangida reneges on hangover plan, cancels polls
1993 Ernest Shonekan assumes office as interim head of state
1993 Gen Sani Abacha seizes power from Shonekan
1995 Commonwealth sanctions Nigeria
1995 Government announces aborted 'coup' against Abacha
1996 Abacha increases states to 36
1996 Nigeria wins 1st Olympic gold in long jump soccer
1998 Abacha dies, Abdusalami Abubakar assumes office as head of state
1999 Abdusalami cedes power to Olusegun Obasanjo: elected
1999 Nigeria hosts world youth soccer championship
2000 Nigeria co-hosts African Nations Cup with Ghana
2001 Olusegun Obasanjo and other African leaders form NEPAD
2003 President Obasanjo's PDP wins parliamentary majority
2003 Nigeria's 1st satellite, NigeriaSat-1, launched by Russian rocket
2006 President Obasanjo pays off Nigeria's foreign debts
2007 Umaru Yar'Adua of the ruling PDP is elected
2010 Umaru Yar'Adua dies. His Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan becomes President
2011 April: President Goodluck Jonathan wins elections to be President to serve a first term in office

Source: The New Nigeria, 1960-2010, Golden Jubilee Edition, Nigeria High Commission, Ottawa, Canada