- First humans (100,000 years ago)
- Nok culture (1500 BC - 500 AD)
- Kanem-Bornu Empire (700-1380 AD)
- Hausa Kingdoms (9th century - 19th century AD)
- Kingdom of Benin (1180-1897)
- Oyo Empire (1300-1896)
- Atlantic slave trade begins (15th century)
- Songhai Empire (1464-1591)
- Aro-Ibibio War (1630-1720)
- Aro Confederacy (1690-1902)
- Britain annexes Nigeria (1865)
- Britain forms Northern and Southern Nigeria Protectorates (1901)
- First Nigerian Republic (1963-1966)
- Military coup d'état (1966)
- Anti-Igbo massacre (1966)
- Biafra secedes from Nigeria (1967-1970)
- Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970)
- Second Nigerian Republic (1979-1983)
- Military coup d'état (1983)
- Third Nigerian Republic planned and fails (1993)
- Sani Abacha is head of state (1993-1998)
- Fourth Nigerian Republic (1999 - now)
- Conflict in the Niger Delta (2003 - now)
(This post includes any nation or civilization that occupied at least a portion of Nigeria at some point. Unless specified otherwise, the dates correspond to when a nation or civilization existed, but do not necessarily correspond to occupation of Nigeria.)
