The public presentation of the long-awaited autobiography of Nigeria’s second military leader, General Yakubu Gowon, has been scheduled for Tuesday, 19 May 2026 in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The 881-page book, published by Havilah Group, Lagos, offers a rare, personal perspective on the challenges of governance, national unity and the burden of leadership in times of crisis. In it, Gowon recounts his early life, his unexpected rise to national leadership and his role during the 30-month Nigerian civil war (1967 – 1970), one of the most defining periods in the country’s history.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour at the event, which will hold at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre. A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Theophilus Danjuma, who served as Minister of Defence between 1999 and 2003, is billed to unveil the book.
Ahead of the book launch, Gowon said: ‘By choosing to write, I took a conscious decision not to reopen old wounds but to clarify my thinking on policies and plans at a period often narrated by others. My story is one of conviction evaluated by circumstances at the crossroads of expectations and reality’.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Havilah Group, Akogun Lanre Adesuyi, said: ‘We consider this project a significant milestone in our journey, one that reflects our commitment to preserving history, promoting thought leadership, and contributing meaningfully to national discourse’.
Born on 19 October 1934, Gowon became Nigeria’s Head of State and Commander-in-Chief on 1 August 1966 and held office for nine years.
On leaving office, he earned a PhD in Political Science from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom in 1984 and thereafter dedicated himself to peacebuilding, national development, and spiritual leadership.
His post-service efforts include promoting unity through initiatives such as the Nigeria prays movement and involvement in various disease control campaigns notably guinea worm eradication and the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria through the work of the Yakubu Gowon Centre.
He is the National Goodwill Ambassador for the control of viral hepatitis in Nigeria.
