The first president of the Nigerian republic was Nnamdi Azikiwe. Nnamdi Azikiwe was a prominent Nigerian nationalist, statesman and the first president of Nigeria after it became a republic in 1963. He was a key figure in Nigeria's struggle for independence from Britain, and he played an important role in the country's political development both before and after independence. Azikiwe was also a prolific writer, and his books and speeches on African nationalism and the struggle for independence were widely read and influential.