63+ Nigeria Current Affairs
Questions & Answers 2026
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Nigeria Current Affairs 2026 — Questions and Answers
This page contains 63+ Nigeria current affairs questions and answers updated for 2026. Topics covered include current government officials (President, Vice President, Senate President, ministers, service chiefs), Nigerian history from pre-colonial kingdoms to the present day, all 36 states and their capitals, the 774 Local Government Areas, constitutional provisions, economy, geography, culture and international relations. Questions follow the format used in JAMB, WAEC, NECO, NYSC orientation exams, federal civil service recruitment and job interview assessments. Tap any card to reveal the answer. Use the category tabs to focus on Government, History, States, Geography or any other topic. Your progress is saved automatically in your browser.
Who was Nigeria's first prime minister?
Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.
When was the first military coup in Nigeria?
January 15, 1966, led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu.
Who was the first female governor in Nigeria?
Virginia Etiaba, who served as acting governor of Anambra State in 2006.
Who amalgamated the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria?
Lord Frederick Lugard in 1914.
When did Nigeria gain independence?
1st October 1960, from British colonial rule.
When did the Nigerian Civil War begin and end?
It began on July 6, 1967 and ended on January 15, 1970.
Who was the first President of Nigeria?
Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, ceremonial president from 1963.
Who gave Nigeria her name?
Flora Shaw, a British journalist, in 1897 — derived from the River Niger.
In what year was oil first discovered in commercial quantities in Nigeria?
1956, at Oloibiri in present-day Bayelsa State.
The creation of the six geopolitical zones was done during the regime of?
Gen. Sani Abacha
Who was the first indigenous chartered accountant in Nigeria?
Chief Akintola Williams, founder of PriceWaterhouseCoopers Nigeria.
When was the first general election in Nigeria held?
1959, the pre-independence federal election.
Which is the oldest Local Government Area in Nigeria?
Lagos Island
Nigeria became a Republic in what year?
1963
Local Government Reform in Nigeria was first carried out in what year?
1976
When did Nigeria change from right-hand to left-hand drive traffic?
2nd April 1972.
Who was the first female pilot in Nigeria?
Chinyere Kalu.
When was the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act signed?
2004.
Who was the first female Chief Justice of Nigeria?
Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, 2012.
What was the first political party in Nigeria?
The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), founded by Herbert Macaulay in 1923.
Who was Nigeria’s first Prime Minister?
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
What is the former name of Edo State capital?
Benin
Which state was created in 1991 from old Anambra and Imo States?
All of the above
When was the Nigerian Naira introduced?
1st January 1973, replacing the Nigerian pound.
Who is regarded as the Father of Nigerian Nationalism?
Herbert Macaulay.
Who was the first indigenous speaker of the House of Representatives?
Jaja Wachuku, in 1959.
Which state was created last in Nigeria?
Ekiti
What was the Not Too Young To Run Act?
A 2018 law that reduced the minimum age for running for political office — e.g. House of Reps reduced to 25.
The first capital of Nigeria was?
Calabar
Who was the first Inspector General of Police in Nigeria?
Louis Edet
Who was the first female NAFDAC Director-General?
Professor Dora Akunyili, who served from 2001 to 2008.
Who was the first indigenous Vice Chancellor of a Nigerian university?
Professor Kenneth Dike, University of Ibadan.
Who was the first female Professor in Nigeria?
Professor Elfrida Adeho.
Who is Nigeria's first female author?
Flora Nwapa, author of Efuru (1966).
The Nigerian Army was established in what year?
1958
Who was the first Nigerian nationalist to move a motion for self-government?
Pa Anthony Enahoro, in 1953.
The Nigerian Civil War lasted from which years?
1967-1970
The first female Judge in Nigeria was?
Maryam Aloma Mukhtar
Who was Nigeria's first military Head of State?
General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi.
Who was the first female senator in Nigeria?
Senator Franca Afegbua, representing Bendel State in 1979.
Who was the last colonial governor before Nigeria's independence?
Sir James Robertson.
How many states did General Yakubu Gowon create in 1967?
12 states, replacing the four regions.
Who was the first indigenous CBN Governor?
Mallam Aliyu Mai-Bornu, 1963.
When did Nigeria join OPEC?
July 12, 1971.
What was the second military coup in Nigeria?
The counter-coup of July 29, 1966, which brought Yakubu Gowon to power.
Who was the first woman to drive a car in Nigeria?
Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.
Who was the first Nigerian to win a Nobel Prize?
Wole Soyinka, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986.
When was ECOWAS founded and where is its headquarters?
1975 in Lagos; headquarters now in Abuja.
The first Television Station in Africa was established in?
Lagos
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was established in what year?
1973
When was the Aba Women's Riot?
1929, protesting against British taxation policies.
When was GSM introduced in Nigeria?
2001, by operators Econet (now Airtel), MTN and MTEL.
When was paper currency first introduced in Nigeria?
1918.
Who was the first indigenous medical doctor in Nigeria?
Dr. Oguntola Odunbaku Sapara, not to be confused with Eyitayo Lambo.
Who was the first African bishop?
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, consecrated in 1864.
The 774 Local Government Areas were created by which decree?
1976 Local Government Reform
Who was the first indigenous Governor-General of Nigeria?
Nnamdi Azikiwe
Who was the first man to buy a car in Nigeria?
Bob Jensen, a British trader, around 1904.
When was JAMB established?
1978.
What was the first capital city of Nigeria?
Calabar (1884–1906), then Lagos (1906–1991), then Abuja (1991–present).
Who was the first governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria?
R.A. Feton (a British appointee), 1959.
The first female Governor in Nigeria was?
Virginia Etiaba
When was the Federal Capital Territory Abuja created?
February 3, 1976, by the Murtala Mohammed administration.