death_date successor death_place birth_place children imagesize party profession birth_date order term_start spouse image article_title term_end name
9 may 1987 samuel akintola ikenne ikenne , ogun state segun awolowo-dosunmu awolowo tola oyediran oluwole awolowo ayodele soyode tokunbo 170px unity action group -lrb- 1950 -- 1966 -rrb- party of nigeria -lrb- 1978 -- 1983 -rrb- lawyer 6 march 1909 premier of western nigeria 1 october 1954 hannah idowu dideolu awolowo awolowo-obafemi . jpg obafemi awolowo
 1 october 1960 obafemi awolowo
obafemi awolowo

chief obafemi jeremiah oyeniyi awolowo , gcfr -lrb- ; 6 march 1909 -- 9 may 1987 -rrb- , was a nigerian nationalist and statesman who played a key role in nigeria 's independence movement , the first and second republics and the civil war .
he is most notable as the outstanding first premier of the western region but was also a successful federal commissioner for finance and vice president of the federal executive council in the civil war and was thrice a major contender for his country 's highest office .
a native of ikenne in ogun state of south-western nigeria , he started his career , like some of his well-known contemporaries , as a nationalist in the nigerian youth movement in which he rose to become western provincial secretary .
awolowo was responsible for much of the progressive social legislation that has made nigeria a modern nation .
he was the first leader of government business and minister of local government and finance , and first premier of the western region under nigeria 's parliamentary system , from 1952 to 1959 .
he was the official leader of the opposition in the federal parliament to the balewa government from 1959 to 1963 .
in recognition of all these , awolowo was the first individual in the modern era to be named `` leader of the yorubas '' -lrb- yoruba : `` asiwaju awon yoruba '' or `` asiwaju omo oodua '' -rrb- .
