The anthem was adopted in 1978 by the
military dictatorship 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 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==