Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh

Festus Okotie-Eboh (July 18, 1912 – January 15, 1966) was an ultra-prominent, highly influential, and exceptionally flamboyant Nigerian politician and businessman who served as Nigeria's first Federal Minister of Finance from 1957 until his assassination in 1966. He is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of the Nigerian First Republic. During his tenure, he shaped Nigeria's early economic landscape by introducing the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax system and fiercely advocating for economic autonomy, which culminated in the establishment of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 1958 and the launch of the nation’s first independent currency.

As a key diplomatic face for Nigeria, Chief Okotie-Eboh developed a warm, personal relationship with U.S. President John F. Kennedy. On July 8, 1961, Okotie-Eboh led an economic mission to the White House, exchanging unique cultural gifts to symbolize goodwill. He presented President Kennedy with a leopard skin and carved ivory birds, while gifting First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy a snakeskin handbag. This cordial interaction epitomized the hopeful, cooperative spirit of early U.S.-Nigeria relations.

Chief Okotie-Eboh’s political career and life came to an abrupt end on January 15, 1966, when he was assassinated at the age of 53 during Nigeria’s first military coup d'état. He was killed alongside Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa by a faction of junior military officers. His assassination marked the violent collapse of Nigeria's First Republic, ending the era of its founding civilian administration.