As part of activities marking the 50th Anniversary of Angola’s Independence, the Government of the Republic of Angola, under the leadership of President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, has announced the conferment of a National Order of Honour on Nigeria’s late Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, GCFR.
According to an official communication addressed to the family of the late General and signed by H.E. Ambassador José Bamoquina Zau, Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, the honour recognizes General Murtala Muhammed’s decisive leadership and Nigeria’s steadfast support for Angola’s political emancipation during one of the most critical periods of its history.
“On behalf of His Excellency João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, we are pleased to inform you that His Excellency Murtala Ramat Muhammed, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be decorated on November 6th with the Class of Honour Medal, as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence,” the letter stated.
“This Medal of Honour is conferred in recognition of the unwavering support and solidarity extended by General Murtala Muhammed and the Nigerian people towards the political emancipation of the Republic of Angola.”
The recognition is deeply symbolic. In 1975, at a time when much of Africa was still under colonial domination, General Murtala Muhammed took a bold and historic stand by officially recognizing and extending Nigeria’s diplomatic support to the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) — a move that defied global pressure and aligned Nigeria squarely with the forces of African freedom. His moral clarity and swift action galvanized continental solidarity, isolated apartheid South Africa’s interventionist agenda, and helped secure Angola’s independence on 11 November 1975.
Nearly five decades later, the Angolan nation now honours that courage and conviction. The award serves not only as a tribute to Murtala Muhammed’s Pan-African vision but also as a reaffirmation of Africa’s collective memory — a reminder that the continent’s independence was won through acts of unity, sacrifice, and principled leadership.
General Murtala Muhammed’s legacy continues to echo across Africa — in the values of self-determination, accountability, and moral governance that his short but transformative leadership embodied. This recognition by Angola thus stands as a historic and deeply moving testament to his enduring place among Africa’s liberators and conscience leaders.
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