Colonial HistoryIndependence HistoryVideo

Queen Elizabeth’s First Visit to Nigeria in 1956 (with Video)

Footage of the Queen’s visit to Nigeria in 1956.

The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, visited Nigeria for the first time on the 28th of January, 1956, four years to Nigeria’s independence and stayed for 20 days.

She was received with a military parade at the Ikeja Airport in Lagos and welcomed by dignitaries such as the then Governor-General, Sir James Robertson, his wife, the Minister of Labour (Festus Okotie-Eboh) and the Oba of Benin, Oba Akenzua II.

Oba Akenzua II and Queen Elizabeth II
Oba Akenzua II and Queen Elizabeth II

Nigerians, eager to see the Queen, stormed the streets of Lagos with banners and flags. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh were driven past the cheering crowds in an open car to the Municipal Boundary.

Queen Elizabeth II also met with the Oba of Lagos, Oba Adeniji-Adele II. Little Folashade Lawson, daughter of the Chairman of Lagos Town Council, presented Queen Elizabeth II a bouquet on her knees.


Before the Queen left on the 16th of February, 1956, she visited other parts of Nigeria such as Port Harcourt and Kaduna where she graced the Dubar festival.

Thanks for reading, OldNaija.com

Cite this article as: Teslim Omipidan. (July 30, 2017). Queen Elizabeth’s First Visit to Nigeria in 1956 (with Video). OldNaija. Retrieved from https://oldnaija.com/2017/07/30/queen-elizabeths-first-visit-to-nigeria-photos-and-video/

4 Comments

  1. This site wows me. i just can’t leave it. so interesting. Can i add you up on fb please.
    would love to write for you.
    even if it’s free. just want to contribute.

Leave a Reply. OldNaija loves your comment.

Back to top button