Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was the first Prime Minister ofNigeria before and after Nigerian independence from Great Britain in 1960.

Born in December of 1912 in Bauchi in  Northern Nigeria,Balewas father, Mallam Yakubu, was a minor official in the Native Authority,part of the British colonial administration. Balewa received his primary education in Tafawa Balewa from 1922 to1925.  He then attended Bauchi Middle Schoolin Bauchi from 1925 to 1928.  Followingthis Balewa attended KatsinaTeachers TrainingCollege from 1928 to 1933where he received his teaching certification. After graduation Balewa returned to Bauchi Middle Schoolas a teacher where he taught English to his pupils. 

During the next ten years Balewa rose in the ranks of theteaching staff, qualifying as a Teacher Grade I in Nigeria in 1944.  The following year he was admitted to LondonUniversity Institute of Education, receiving his diploma in 1946.  Balewa returned to BauchiMiddle School in 1949 as Headmasterand afterwards served briefly as Inspector of Schools in Nigeria.   

Abubakar Balewa entered politics after returning to Nigeria.  He and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello founded theNorthern Peoples Congress (NPC) to represent the Muslim majority in Northern Nigeria. Balewa was elected to the colonys Northern House of Assembly in 1946where he gave a famous and impassioned speech calling for a radical change inthe Native Administration and its relations with Great Britain.  Soon after this speech the British beganrestructuring the Native Authority for self-rule and eventually Nigerianindependence.  In 1955 Balewa wasappointed Federal Minister of Works and Transport by Nigerias Colonial Governor, SirJames Wilson Robertson.  When Nigeriawas granted self governance in 1957 Balewa became Prime Minister.   In January 1960, Balewa was knighted byQueen Elizabeth of GreatBritain.

Following Nigerian independence on October 1, 1960 Balewacontinued in his post as Prime Minister of Nigeria in a power sharingarrangement with Nnamdi Azikiwe, the countrys first