@historicallagos: History was unfolding at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, as Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council was reconstituted on Tuesday, 12 June 1967. This footage captures an important moment in Nigeria’s political history, during the military administration of Lieutenant-Colonel Yakubu Gowon, who became Nigeria’s Head of State following the events of July 1966. Nigeria was passing through one of the most turbulent periods in its history. Political tensions between the regions, ethnic divisions, military coups and the growing disagreement between the Federal Government and the Eastern Region had pushed the country towards a major national crisis. On 30 May 1967, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the independent Republic of Biafra. The Federal Government rejected the declaration, and the country was moving dangerously close to a full-scale civil war. Against this backdrop, the reconstitution of the Federal Executive Council at Dodan Barracks was more than just a government ceremony. It reflected the continuing efforts of the Gowon administration to organise federal leadership and manage an increasingly difficult political situation. Dodan Barracks, located in Ikoyi, Lagos, served as the seat of Nigeria’s military government during this period. Lagos was still the federal capital, making it the centre of some of the most consequential political decisions in the country. Just weeks after this footage was recorded, on 6 July 1967, the Nigerian Civil War officially began. How many Nigerians today know what was happening at Dodan Barracks in Lagos in the weeks leading up to the Nigerian Civil War? #HistoricalLagos #LagosHistory #DodanBarracks #YakubuGowon #NigerianHistory HistoryOfNigeria NigerianCivilWar Biafra 1967 MilitaryHistory LagosThenAndNow AfricanHistory DiscoverNigeria PreservingOurHeritage

Historical Lagos

Open In TikTok:

Region: NG

Wednesday 11 November 2026 17:50:52 GMT