Do you know the words to “Arise O Compatriots”, Nigeria’s National Anthem?
The current national anthem was adopted in 1978 to replace the original “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” It was set to music by the late Benedict E. Odiase, but the lyrics are actually an amalgamation of lines from the top five winners of a competition sponsored by the then National Publicity Committee on the Draft Constitution and Return to Civilian Rule in Nigeria. The co-authros of the lyrics for the anthem are John A. Ilechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan, B. A. Ogunnaike, P. O. Aderibigbe, and Sota Omoigui, some of whom were only teenagers at the time.
Ventures Africa asked Nigerians of all ages to sing the national anthem — if they could — and then to talk about their favorite lines. Here’s what happened. Happy Independence Day Nigeria!
