Arise, O Compatriots is a Nigerian patriotic song that was used as the national anthem of Nigeria from 1 October 1978 until 2024, when Nigeria, We Hail Thee was reinstated. On 29 May 2024, "Arise, O Compatriots" was officially relinquished followed by the readoption of the first national anthem, "Nigeria, We Hail Thee" used from 1960 until 1978.

History

The anthem was adopted in 1978 by the military government and replaced the previous national anthem, "Nigeria, We Hail Thee". The lyrics are a combination of words and phrases taken from five of the best entries in a national contest. The words were put to music by the Nigerian Police Band under the directorship of Benedict P. Odiase (1934–2013). The Nigerian national anthem lyrics were created by five people: P. O. Aderibigbe, John A. Ilechukwu, Dr. Sota Omoigui, Eme Etim Akpan and B.A. Ogunnaike. On 29 May 2024, "Arise, O Compatriots" was officially relinquished following a bill passed by the National Assembly and subsequently signed into law by president Bola Tinubu. It was replaced by "Nigeria, We Hail Thee", Nigeria’s first national anthem.

Lyrics

Although the anthem has two verses, usually only the first is sung. On some occasions, the second verse is recited as "The National Prayer".

National Pledge

The Nigerian pledge of allegiance is recited immediately after the playing of the Nigerian national anthem. It was written by Felicia Adebola Adeyoyin in 1976.