Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe

Nnamdi Azikiwe was a Nigerian statesman, revolutionary and political leader who served as the first president of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966. He was one of the foremost Nigerian and West African nationalists who fought for the independence of Nigeria from British colonial rule. He was also a journalist, educator, lawyer and sportsman. He founded and edited several newspapers, such as the West African Pilot, the Eastern Guardian and the Comet, which advocated for African nationalism and democracy. He also established the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the first indigenous university in Nigeria. He was a founding member of the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), which later became the National Convention of Nigerian Citizens. He served as the leader of the NCNC, the premier of the Eastern Region, the president of the Senate, the governor-general and the president of Nigeria. He was known as Zik, a nickname derived from his surname. He was also called the Zik of Africa, the Owelle of Onitsha and the Zeke the Great. He was awarded the highest national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the United States. He died of prostate cancer in 1996 and was buried in his hometown of Onitsha. He is widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism and one of the most influential African leaders of the 20th century.