Nigerian Independence Day Celebrations | October 1974

Tuesday, October 1st 1974. Nigeria celebrates its 14th year of independence at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. General Yakubu Gowon, the head of state, wore the uniform of a naval admiral, as he presided over a parade alongside senior members of the government including Vice Admiral Joseph Wey and Major General David Ejoor. In a broadcast to the nation on the same day, General Gowon retracted a four year-old pledge to return Nigeria to civilian rule in 1976, saying that this "precipitate" move would plunge the country into chaos. This change of policy would contribute to his overthrow the following year by military officers who installed Brigadier Murtala Muhammad as his successor. Source: Reuters News