North Book Library

Soundless footage of Yakubu Gowon opening a five day seminar on March 14, 1967, focused on the relevance of international law to Africa’s challenges, organised by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in collaboration with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, with participation from 15 African legal experts and observers from non African countries, representing nations such as Algeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt, under the chairmanship of Teslim Olawale Elias, and featuring contributions from international scholars including J. M. Buda.

Footage of Major General Yakubu Gowon, Nigeria’s Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, delivering his address at the opening of the Fourth Commonwealth Education Conference in Lagos on Monday, February 26, 1968, as over 200 delegates from 27 Commonwealth countries gathered for the 13 day conference held at Nigeria’s Parliament Buildings.

Lt. Colonel Yakubu Gowon, who emerged as Head of State in early August after a violent uprising by Northern soldiers that overthrew the regime of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, addressed a press conference on Friday, October 7, 1966, where he responded to reports of a mutiny in Kano and reaffirmed his commitment to keeping Nigeria united as one nation.

General Yakubu Gowon arrived at Gatwick Airport on August 12, 1975, after his overthrow, coming from Lomé, to reunite with his family in London, and was later allowed to remain in the UK where he studied at University of Warwick.

A historic moment from 6 December 1976, as Lieutenant General Theophilus Danjuma, then Chief of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, pays an official visit to England, where he is received by General Roland Gibbs, Chief of the General Staff; as the sound of “Scipio” fills the air, Danjuma returns a salute, inspects a guard of honour, and is later seen entering the Ministry of Defence alongside his British counterpart.