As part of activities marking its 50th Anniversary of Angola’s Independence, the Government of the country, 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 Ambassador José Bamoquina Zau, Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, the honour recognises 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.

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 recognising 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.