Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has recalled how he first learned about the military coup that took place in Nigeria on January 15,1966.

Anyaoku shared the account while delivering opening remarks as the Chairman at the 2026 Annual Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Lecture, where he spoke about his experience at the University of Pennsylvania on the day the coup occurred.

The annual memorial lecture, held at the Ikenne residence of Chief Awolowo in Ogun State, marks the 117th posthumous birthday of the sage, Chief Jeremiah Obafemi Awolowo, with the theme, ‘Politics as Future-Making: Awolowo and Leadership as Theory of Action’, delivered by Prof Wale Adebanwi, Presidential Penn Compact Professor, University of Pennsylvania, USA.

According to Anyaoku: “And here, mentioning Pennsylvania, if I may digress a little bit, with a personal anecdote about my personal experience at the University of Pennsylvania. Sixty years ago, and when I say 60 years ago, I assume I must be the oldest person in this hall because I am now 93. But 60 years ago, on 15 January 1966, I was invited to the University of Pennsylvania to address the Association for International Affairs, along with my counterpart at the British Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.”

He explained that at the time, he was serving as First Secretary-Counsellor in the Nigerian Permanent Mission to the United Nations, under the late Chief Simeon Adebo, who was Nigeria’s Ambassador.

Anyaoku said the meeting focused on the Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Ian Smith, leader of the minority regime in the then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, on November 11, 1965. After the speeches, the audience was invited to ask questions.

Recounting the moment he first heard about the coup, he said: “The very first question was put to me by a man who wanted me to tell him more about the military coup d’etat.”

He said he initially believed the man might have confused Nigeria with another country experiencing political instability.

“I thanked him for his interest in my country, but suggested to him that he might be mistaking Nigeria for Algeria, where President Bembele had been overthrown, or for the Republic of Niger where the then President Hamani Diori was having some problems, but the man persisted by saying that on his way to the meeting he had on his car radio that a military coup had occurred in Nigeria and that the Prime Minister, he of course couldn’t say the name of the Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was missing.”

Anyaoku said the comment prompted him to briefly leave the hall to confirm the information.

“Whereupon I requested a 10-minute break in order to go to the nearest telephone booth to call my ambassador in New York. Those were the days, well before the use of mobile phones.”

He said he later returned to the audience with limited information about what had happened.

“I returned to the hall to tell the audience that it was true, that something unusual had happened in my country, but I could not tell the details. This was where and how I learned about the first military coup d’etat in Nigeria.”

Dignitaries at the Memorial Lecture hosted by Ambassador Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Executive Director, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, include the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe; former Governors of Ogun and Osun States, Otunba Gbenga Daniel and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams; veteran broadcaster and diplomat, Dr. Yemi Farounbi; Senator Wale Adetutu; and Oladipupo Adebutu, among others.(Nigerian Tribune)