Benjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe,P.C. (16 November 1904 – 11 May 1996),[3] usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe or Zik, was one of the leading figures of modern Nigeriannationalism. He served as the second and last Governor-General of Nigeria from 1960 to 1963 and the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966, holding the presidency throughout the Nigerian First Republic. Born in Zungeru, in present-day Niger State, Azikiwe learned to speakHausa, the main indigenous language of the Northern Region at an early age. He later lived in Onitsha, his paternal homeland where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother and learn theIgbo language. A sojourn in Lagos exposed him to the Yoruba language and he was in college, he had been exposed to different Nigerian cultures. Motivated to get a university education, he traveled to U.S. and attended various colleges including Storer College, Columbia University and Howardreturning to Africa in 1934 to start work as a journalist in theGold Coast. In British West Africa, Azikiwe was an important advocate ofNigerian and African nationalism, first as a journalist and later as political leader.[4][5]