Some 66 Facts to Know About Nigeria as It Turns 66!

A lively festival crowd in green costumes, sitting in grandstands enjoying a performance. Photo Credit: Jonathan Chukwudifu/Pexels

As Nigeria celebrates 66 years of independence, there is much to look back on, from the people and moments that have contributed to the country’s history to the achievements that have put it on the global map. Across music, film, sports, fashion, literature, business, and technology, Nigerians continue to make their mark at home and around the world.

To mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day, here are some 66 facts about the country, its people, and some of the milestones that make Nigeria’s story worth telling:

Nigeria won its first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1980.

Wole Soyinka became the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.

Nigeria launched its central bank digital currency, the eNaira, in October 2021.

Funke Akindele is the highest-grossing director in the Nigerian box office.

Nigeria’s flag was designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, who won a national competition in 1959.

The Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State became Nigeria’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Nigeria’s D’Tigress won five consecutive Women’s AfroBasket titles from 2017 to 2025.

Paystack was founded in Nigeria in 2015 and was acquired by Stripe in 2020.

Nigeria gained independence from Britain on 1 October 1960.

Nigerian author Lola Shoneyin founded the Ake Arts and Book Festival, one of the biggest literary festivals in Africa.

Nigeria’s first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, was launched in 2003.

The Third Mainland Bridge was once Africa’s longest bridge.

Burna Boy won the Grammy for Best Global Music Album for Twice as Tall in 2021.

Nigeria’s capital moved from Lagos to Abuja in 1991.

The Sango Festival in Oyo was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2023.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980, 1994 and 2013.

Nigerian artist Fola David created a 1,004.7-square-metre drawing of Nigeria in 2024, recognised by Guinness World Records.

Nigeria’s name was proposed by British journalist Flora Shaw in 1897.

The University of Ibadan became Nigeria’s first university in 1948, originally as University College Ibadan.

Nigeria’s first television station was established in 1959.

“Love Nwantiti” by CKay became a global streaming hit, charting internationally in 2021.

Nigeria’s national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was reinstated in 2024 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Tobi Amusan won the women’s 100m hurdles at the Paris Diamond League.

Nigeria was the first African country to qualify a bobsled team for the Winter Olympics.

Agbani Darego won Miss World in 2001.

Aliko Dangote is the richest black person in the world and owns the Dangote Petroleum Refinery.

Nigeria’s U-17 men’s team won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, the tournament’s inaugural edition.

Nigeria’s film industry produces around 2,500 films annually, according to UNESCO’s 2021 report.

Nigeria became a republic on 1 October 1963.

The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2005.

Nigeria’s first national library was established in 1964.

Hilda Baci set a Guinness World Records title for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice in 2025.

Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. won the 2025 BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for My Father’s Shadow.

Nigeria’s Northern and Southern Protectorates were amalgamated on 1 January 1914.

Nigeria won its first Olympic gold medal in women’s long jump through Chioma Ajunwa at Atlanta 1996.

Interswitch was founded in Nigeria in 2002 and became a major player in the country’s electronic payments industry.

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart was first published in 1958.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations a record 10 times, through 2024.

Nigerian filmmaker Nora Awolowo and producer Damilola Osikoya set a Guinness World Records attendance record for a film screening in Lagos in September 2026.

Nigeria’s first President was Nnamdi Azikiwe.

The Ijele masquerade was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Rema’s hit song Calm Down reached 1 billion streams on Spotify on September 11, 2023.

The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was founded in 1955 and formally opened in 1960.

Nigeria’s U-17 men’s team has won the FIFA U-17 World Cup five times.

Nigerian model Ololade Ayelabola walked 125.11 kilometres on a catwalk in Lagos in 2024, setting a Guinness World Records title.

Nigeria launched NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X in 2011.

Fela Anikulapo-Kuti is widely recognised as the pioneer of Afrobeat.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2007 for Half of a Yellow Sun.

The Nigerian Stock Exchange was established in 1961.

Nigeria became the first African country to win Olympic men’s football gold in 1996.

Nigeria has 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Hilda Baci held a Guinness World Records title for the longest cooking marathon by an individual in 2023.

Nigeria’s first Prime Minister was Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.

Tems is the first Nigerian artist to win multiple Grammy Awards.

The Argungu International Fishing and Cultural Festival was inscribed by UNESCO in 2016.

Nigeria ranks as the largest producer of crude oil in Africa, and one of the largest in the world

Wizkid’s “Essence,” featuring Tems, became the first Nigerian song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 top 10.

The Kano Durbar was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.

Flutterwave, an international payment platform, was co-founded in 2016 by Olugbenga Agboola.

Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s long jump was won by Chioma Ajunwa at Atlanta 1996.

Living in Bondage (1992) is widely credited with helping launch the modern Nigerian video-film industry.

Ben Okri won the Booker Prize in 1991 for The Famished Road.

Nigeria’s film industry produces around 2,500 films annually, according to UNESCO’s 2021 report.

Mami Wata, directed by C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

Genevieve Nnaji’s Lionheart became the first Nigerian film acquired by Netflix as a Netflix original.

Wizkid is the first African artist to sell out the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in London in minutes.

What other facts would you like to add? Go ahead!

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!

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