By Abiola Olawale
The President of Angola João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, is set to confer honour or awards on three eminent Nigerians for their enormous contributions to both the independence and development of Angola.
The three distinguished Nigerians are: late Head of State, General Murtala Mohammed, who is being honoured post-humously; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former civilian president as well as erstwhile military Head of State; and Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari, a former Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria, and former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations who also served as Chief of Staff to late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The three eminent Nigerians will receive their award during a decoration ceremony, scheduled for Thursday, November 6, 2025, in Luanda, Angola.
Murtala’s award is expected to be received by his family members.
It was gathered that the three eminent personalities are being honoured for their contributions to Angola’s independence and lasting peace in the country.
The New Diplomat reports that General Murtala Muhammed’s leadership and Nigeria’s support played a crucial role in Angola’s independence.
Murtala was Nigeria’s Head of State when Angola gained independence. Obasanjo was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, during Murtala’s regime.
The Murtala/Obasanjo regime was the first to officially recognize the Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) as the legitimate government of Angola.
Under their leadership, Nigeria launched a diplomatic initiative to lobby other African nations to also recognize the MPLA, which was crucial for the newly independent nation’s international legitimacy within the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
Nigeria provided political, material, and financial support to the MPLA.
Similarly, Gambari is celebrated for his efforts in Angola which focused on mediating the peace process following the Lusaka Protocol and supporting post-conflict recovery.
As a UN envoy, Gambari monitored the implementation of the peace agreement and facilitated humanitarian aid for displaced persons. He also worked on consolidating peace through human rights promotion and the building of democratic institutions.
The New Diplomat also reports that in 2003, the then Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan commended Gambari for his efforts in Angola.
Annan stated: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my Special
Representation, Ibrahim Gambari, for his efforts to bring to a conclusion this
important phase of United Nations involvement in Angola. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations staff who have served, and continue to serve, the cause of peace and development in Angola for their tireless efforts and exemplary dedication.”
Murtala Muhammed
Murtala Muhammed was born on 8 November 1938 and was a Nigerian military officer and the fourth head of state of Nigeria. He went on training as a cadet in the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. He later served in Congo; he eventually rose through the ranks to become a brigadier general in 1971 at the age of 33, becoming one of the youngest generals in Nigeria. Three years later, Murtala became the Federal Commissioner for Communications on 7 August 1974. He was assassinated at the age of 37, along with his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Akintunde Akinsehinwa, and his driver, Sergeant Adamu Michika, in his black Mercedes on 13 February 1976.
Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was born in March 1937. He is a Nigerian statesman and former army general who served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from 1976 to 1979 and later as a civilian president from 1999 to 2007. He was the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters during Murtala’s regime. Obasanjo has been described as one of the great figures of the second generation of post-colonial African leaders by many. He received praise both for overseeing Nigeria’s transition to representative democracy in the 1970s and for his Pan-African efforts to encourage cooperation across the continent.
Ibrahim Gambari
Gambari, born on November 24, 1944, is a Nigerian scholar and diplomat who has held various strategic global roles in diplomacy. He served as Chief of Staff to the late President Muhammadu Buhari from 2020 to 2023. He is a former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister. He was at various times under-secretary General(Political Affairs), the UN, Nigeria’s Ambassador/ Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York, Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the African Union/Chief Mediator in Darfur, and President of the United Nations Security Council, amongst others.
