Angola has honoured three eminent Nigerians – late Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; and renowned diplomat, Professor Ibrahim Agboola Gambari – as part of celebrations marking the country’s 50th Independence Anniversary.
The honours were presented in Luanda by Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, recognizing Nigeria’s timely and decisive role in Angola’s liberation struggle and its enduring commitment to African solidarity and Pan-Africanism.
General Murtala Mohammed was honoured posthumously for his courageous leadership in 1975, when Nigeria became the first African nation to recognise Angola’s Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) government, defying Cold War pressures and opposition from Western powers.
Under his administration, Nigeria provided Angola with a $17 million financial lifeline to rebuild and resist external pressures, earning the country the reputation of Africa’s “moral voice”.
Tangyalamba Veloso, President of the Angola-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hailed General Murtala Mohammed’s courage and foresight, recalling how Nigeria’s intervention helped save Angola from collapse during its independence struggle. She narrated how Murtala confronted foreign oil companies that threatened to withdraw from Angola, warning them that doing so would also cost them the Nigerian market.
Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Nigeria’s longest-serving Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1990-1999), was also honored for his long-standing contributions to peace and development on the continent. Gambari, who once mediated peace in Angola under the United Nations, was conferred with Angola’s Peace and Development Medal.
He played a central role in implementing peace initiatives in Angola following the Lusaka Protocol and supervised the implementation of the peace accord, coordinated humanitarian interventions for displaced persons, and supported post-conflict reconstruction through institution-building and human rights advocacy.