Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

The Right Honourable Alhaji Sir
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
KBE
The Right Honourable Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa KBE
Prime Minister of Nigeria
	In office; 1 October 1960 – 15 January 1966
Monarch	Elizabeth II (until 1963)
President	Nnamdi Azikiwe (from 1963)
Governors‑General	Sir James Wilson Robertson (until 1960); Nnamdi Azikiwe (1960–1963);
Preceded by	Himself; (as Chief Minister)
Succeeded by	Position abolished; (Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi as Military head of state)
Chief Minister of Nigeria
	In office; 30 August 1957 – 1 October 1960
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor‑General	Sir James Wilson Robertson
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Himself; (as Prime Minister)
Deputy Leader of the Northern People's Congress
	In office; 30 August 1957 – 15 January 1966
Leader	Ahmadu Bello
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of Parliament for Bauchi South West
	In office; 1954 – 15 January 1966
Personal details
Born	Mallam Abubakar; December 1912; Bauchi, Northern Nigeria Protectorate
Died	15 January 1966 (aged 53); near Lagos, Nigeria
Resting place	Tafawa Balewa's tomb
Political party	Northern People's Congress
Alma mater	Barewa College; University of London Institute of Education;
Occupation	Politician

Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa KBE PC (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician who served as the first and only prime minister of Nigeria upon independence. A conservative Anglophile, he favoured maintaining close ties with the British. During his first few years in office as prime minister, Nigeria was a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II reigning as Queen of Nigeria, until Nigeria became a republic in 1963. He was both a defender of Northern special interests and an advocate of Nigerian reform and unity.

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