Governor-General of Nigeria
The Governor-General of Nigeria served as the representative of the British monarch in Colonial Nigeria from 1954 to 1960, and as the representative of the Nigerian head of state from 1960 to 1963.
The office was established on 1 October 1954, when the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria was reorganized into an autonomous federation within the British Empire, known as the Federation of Nigeria. With the nation's independence on 1 October 1960, Nigeria became a Commonwealth realm, and the Governor-General then represented the Nigerian monarch—initially Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Nigeria.
The position was abolished in 1963, following Nigeria’s transition to a republic, which replaced the monarchy with a president as the ceremonial head of state.
List of Governors and Governors-General of Nigeria
As a British Colony and Protectorate (1914–1954)
Under the British colonial system, the head of government was titled Governor.
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Frederick Lugard | 1914–1919 | Oversaw the amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria. |
| 2 | Sir Hugh Clifford | 1919–1925 | Introduced the Clifford Constitution of 1922. |
| 3 | Sir Graeme Thomson | 1925–1931 | Promoted agricultural reforms and railway expansion. |
| 4 | Sir Donald Cameron | 1931–1935 | Advocated indirect rule and administrative restructuring. |
| 5 | Sir Bernard Bourdillon | 1935–1943 | Initiated regionalism in Nigeria’s constitution. |
| 6 | Sir Arthur Richards | 1943–1948 | Introduced the Richards Constitution (1946). |
| 7 | Sir John Macpherson | 1948–1955 | Developed the Macpherson Constitution (1951). |
As an Autonomous Federation (1954–1960)
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir John Macpherson | 1954–1955 | First Governor-General of the Federation of Nigeria. |
| 2 | Sir James Robertson | 1955–1960 | Last colonial Governor-General; served through independence. |
As an Independent Monarchy (1960–1963)
| No. | Name | Term of Office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir James Robertson | 1960 | Continued in office briefly post-independence. |
| 2 | Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe | 1960–1963 | First Nigerian Governor-General; became the first President in 1963. |
Abolition of the Office
On 1 October 1963, Nigeria adopted a republican constitution, replacing the monarchy with a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who had been serving as Governor-General, was sworn in as Nigeria’s first president.