Today for @HornimanMuseum #60sAt60 #Nigeria60 I’ll be showing some images from the“State Service of Thanks Giving for the Independence of Nigeria” held at St. James Cathedral, Ibadan, on the 2nd of October 1960. @SeyiAwolesi @AmandaKirbyPR @jcniala @reentanglements 1/1

The service was delivered by The Venerable Archdeacon S. Vincent Latunde, O. B. E., M. A., who received his B.A. in 1914 from Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone – the first Western-style university in West Africa. 1/2

FBC was well known at the time on both the continent& in Britain for its scholarship,particularly in Theology.The college was founded in 1827,known as the "Athens of Africa". Here are photos of the incredible original building&further historical info: http://www.sierraleoneheritage.org/sites/monuments/oldfourahbay 1/3

Returning to St. James, This ticket for attendance was for Roger Brain, a British Agricultural Scientist affiliated with the University of Ibadan. Roger Brain attended with his wife, Audrey, as well as Nancy Stanfield and her husband Denis. 1/4

Nancy took several photographs outside the church as the congregation gathered. Here is one she took of her Husband, Denis. @jcniala has written about this image & the "don't touch my hair" moment in the background for the #Nigeria60 page here: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/project/nigeria60/ 1/5

The service began with “Rejoice, The Lord is King”. This quote from Isaiah 40:31, directly after, stays with me: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”

The service included a Thanksgiving, conducted by S. A. Banjo, in honour of Queen Elizabeth & “for those in positions of responsibility & authority, especially the Prime Minister of our Federation, the Premiers of the Regions & all Ministers of State”. 1/7

The archival number for this album called "Independence, Celebrations, Ibadan and Church" is ARC/HMG/RS/STANFIELD/554
Nancy Stanfield’s images can all be found here:

https://www.horniman.ac.uk/subject/subject-1388/

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