Abubakar Tafawa Balewa

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[1]
In office 1954 – 15 January 1966
Personal details
Born	Mallam Abubakar[2] (1912-12-00)December 1912 Bauchi, Northern Nigeria Protectorate
Died	15 January 1966(1966-01-15) (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.^[3] 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.^[4] He was both a defender of Northern special interests and an advocate of Nigerian reform and unity.^[5]