Nigeria is a country with rich history and culture. An anthem is an important rendition which represents the culture of the nation singing it. It is also a piece of music intended to be sung to express patriotism, love, or commitment.
This solemn patriotic song is officially taken by a country as an expression of national identity.

In Nigeria, there were several national anthems in the course of its history.
Nigeria used the British National anthem “God Save the Queen” as her patriotic song in 1914 to 1960.

However “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was used as the first official anthem of the country, which was composed by Lillian Jean Williams who created the lyrics as well as Frances Berda who composed the music.

They celebrated the freedom Nigeria got from the UK.

This anthem was first introduced in 1960 and was sung continuously until 1978.

In 1978, there was a discourse on the need to chart a way forward for a new anthem; this therefore prompted the government to organize a contest for the “best lyrics” for a new Nigerian anthem.

As a result of this, the committee selected the best of all the suggested lines and phrases, and these led into the composition of a brand-new anthem.

Officially, the phrases and lines of five different authors were used in the song.

Eme Etim Akpan

John A. Ilechukwu

B. A. Ogunnaike

P. O. Aderibigbe

Dr. Sota Omoigui

After the certain time, the special committee picked their lines because they found it most suitable.

Their words were skillfully integrated into the composition that today revives the spirit of patriotism in the hearts of the Nigerians.

A retired Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Director of Music in the Nigeria Police Band at the time, Pa Benedict Odiase, took all the words and organised them in a song which we know today as the “Arise, O Compatriots”, unfortunately, he died in 2013 at the age of 79.

The Nigerian National Anthem remains on famous, awe-inspiring, passion-rousing melodious 2-stanza poem

National Pledge

The national pledge was written in 1976. Its author is Prof (Mrs.) Felicia Adebola Adedoyin born in 1938 as the second of six children.

She was a princess from the Iji ruling house of Saki, Oyo State.

Her children were familiar with the tradition of reading pledges as they passed this ritual at an American school and during studies at Accra Ghana.

Everyone knows that kids are inquisitive creatures. So they asked the mother why they did not read the pledge when they were in Nigeria. Felicia had to tell them the truth about the fact that their homeland did not have its own pledge.

This situation inspired her to write beautiful and patriotic words that we all say with pride today. Her work appeared in one of the publications of the Daily Times in July 1976. The article devoted to this topic was called “Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge”.

This newspaper was read by Barrister Adewusi who was a common friend of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo and the author.

In August 1976, Obasanjo got acquainted with the article and decided to introduce the pledge as he was the head of the state at that time.

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