Tafawa Balewa: Complete History And Biography Of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Tafawa Balewa

FULL NAME: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
DATE OF BIRTH: 1912 (Month And Day Not Verified Yet).
RELIGION: Islam/Muslim.
STATE OF ORIGIN: Bauchi.
NATIONALITY: Nigeria.
OCCUPATION BEFORE POLITICS: Inspector Of Schools
YEARS OF REIGN: 1912 - January 15, 1966.

Complete History And Biography Of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was born in 1912 to Yakubu Dan Zala and Fatima Inna in Bauchi, Nigeria.
Tafawa Balewa had his elementary(primary) education at a Koranic school in Bauchi and later proceeded to Barewa College where he bagged his teaching certificate. In 1944, Tafawa Balewa was among the lucky ones chosen to study in the University of London’s Institute of Education for a year. After his studies in London, he returned to Nigeria to work as an inspector of schools for the then colonial government.

Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

Later on, Tafawa Balewa became involved in politics. In 1946, he was elected to the Northern House of Assembly and also to the Legislative Assembly in 1947.

As an active politician, Tafawa Balewa cofounded the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) with Alahji Ahmadu Bello. After forming a coalition government with the National Council of Nigerians and Cameroons (NCNC) headed by Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa became the Chief Minister and later the Prime Minister in 1960 when Nigeria became independent.

Tafawa Balewa on Independence

In January 1960, Tafawa Balewa was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight commander of the order of the British Empire. In 1964, Tafawa Balewa was reelected as the Prime Minister of Nigeria. He held the record of the first and only Prime minister of independent Nigeria. During his tenure as the Prime minister of Nigeria, he maintained a good and solid relationship with francophone African countries and also played an important role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

Tafawa Balewa

However, on January 15, 1966, Tafawa Balewa’s government was overthrown by the military and he was murdered in the process. His body was found along a road in Lagos few days after he was killed. The coup, led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu, was the first coup d’etat to be staged in Nigeria.
Today, Tafawa Balewa’s portrait appears on the Five naira note of Nigeria's currency.