Nigeria, My Country #Nigeriaourheritage

Lead Image Source

In accordance with a just recently generated prompt ( on Sunday, hehe) by @Greatwolfman whom his birthday is today and I wish him a happy birthday and that may all his heart desires be granted, I would be speaking in knowledge of my country, Nigeria's heritage with you guys and would really want to tell you all necessary things that is to be known ... I might cover all and might not cover all or just an aspect but i know my fellow Brothers and Sisters are also writing and if all articles are combined, a masterpiece about the Country Nigeria would be seen.

As it is done natively and as a custom in Nigeria, maybe worldwide also, we pray before starting off an event or commencing an unveiling.
---I pray I meet you all in good conditions and health and may all our deepest heart desires be granted and the protection of the Lord be abundant over us. Amen !

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Saying about my country Nigeria, I would first of all need to introduce you to Our National Anthem which has two stanzas and each stanza consisting of nine lines ( unlike Austria which has no National Anthem at all ). The National Anthem can be thought of as a successful group project by the great minds of John A Ilechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan, B.A. Ogunnaike, Sota Omoigui, P. O. Aderibigbe who came and brought heads together to write and heartily birth out the lyrics while it was composed into a melodious and authority-filled tune we know and sing by today by Pa Odiase. All citizens is to stand still and place the right hand over the heart, I implore you do so also in respect- thanks .
I present to you, Nigeria's National Anthem and The Pledge;

Stanza 1: Arise, O compatriots,
Nigeria's call obey,
To serve our fatherland,
With love and strength and faith,
The labour of our heroes past,
Shall never be in vain,
To serve with heart and might,
One nation bound in freedom,
peace and unity.

Stanza 2: Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leader’s right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation
where peace and justice shall reign.

National Pledge

• I pledge to Nigeria my Country

• To be faithful, loyal and honest

• To serve Nigeria with all my strength

• To defend her unity

• And uphold her honour and glory

• So help me God.

As this Anthem is same everywhere, it would be best if I put a link to the Anthem : ANTHEM SOURCE

ORIGIN OF THE NAME

You must have also wondered how the name, Nigeria came to be or who discovered it. It all dates back to the time of the slave trades of which Africa was a major source. The former name of the Niger-area region called Nigeria today was the Royal Niger Company Territories as the Royal Niger Company which was headed and led by various Chief heads such as the likes of Jaja of Opobo, dealed in the export of Palm oil was the one in charge of the Province then.

To cool it all down for easy understanding, the region was well known to be rich in Palm oil which was native to Niger Delta. Palm oil being an incredible and viable source to be used as lubricants by Machinery companies in the British, Germany, France. They àll sought the Palm Oil. As at this era, slave trade was the order of the day, the importance of the Palm oil was so great that the exports of the palm oil replaced slaves as the main goods of export.

A British man known as George Goldie formed a company named United African Company in 1879, got a foothold on the lower area territory in the Niger-area and set up base with the cover of dealing with the rulers while moving power inlands. The British as a whole seeing they got the upper hand over the land to have access to the Palm oil over the Germans and the French sought out to buy rights of ownership of land from the Royal Niger Company in 1899 and in the long run , this led to the British colonising the region of which British Colonial Master, Lord Lugard was a strong name to be remembered in history. He amalgamated the Northern and the Southern Provinces.

Image Source .

The name NIGERIA was given by the British Journalist, Flora Shaw and the name taken from the river Niger running through the country. History later had it that she went on to later marry Lord Lugard and today , the Current Affairs book has it that the Wife of Lord Lugard named NIGERIA. We would later get to seek and fight for freedom from the British Colonials, which without doubt I can say was the very first step in the journey to becoming the Giant of Africa.

Nigeria is an African country homed to various cultures and traditions, it is a place of tourist attraction also. Cultures and traditions deeply tied to languages as there are over 500 languages in Nigeria with the most popular being the Yoruba, the Hausa and the Igbo ( I am from the Yoruba Tribe, Omo Oodua ). Referred to as the Giant of Africa, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous in the world. The Country's presence can be recognised with it flag of two vibrant colours depicting the fertile lands and unity. The Nigeria flag has two colours, the Green and the White which are lined vertically side by side enveloped in a rectangular shape. The Flag was designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi in 1959 and was officially hoisted on 1st October, 1960 - the day the Country annually marks her Independence Day.

The Country Nigeria has experienced four Republics with the First, Second and Fourth being successful, the Third was abortive. The numerous Republics were due to attempted coup d'etat which some were successful and some weren't. A very vivid one would be the Civil war of the Biafran war where it was a war between the Nigerian Army and the Biafran Army. The first Republic lasted for three years from 1963 to 1966. The Biafran war was birthed due to many reasons, a major one being the ethnicity. The Eastern Igbo wanted a division from the mainnet of the country Nigeria to stand on their own and they had support from other countries but they later lost the war.

Nigeria has experienced great leaderships and had many great Leaders such as Tafawa Balewa, Nnamdi Azikwe, Yaradua - to mention a few. Nigeria is qlso know for its rich land of crude oil and this struck many rifts.

I would closing the curtain here on my insight into the Heritage of Nigeria and I hope it learnt a thing or two.