An anthem is not just another song- it is one that should stimulate one's passion for the country [or body] he/she is representing and this is why we see [on rare occasions] some individuals being driven to tears as the national anthem is being sung. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Anthem as 'a formal song of loyalty, praise, or happiness.' However, the purpose of the anthem is often lost in its musicality as individuals get overtaken by the harmonious composition.

But looking away from the rhythmic appeal- and scrutinizing the wording of the national anthem- one would come to terms with the aim for which the anthem has been put forward. The Nigerian national anthem which was composed by late Benedict Odiase has a rich vein of words and to this end, I shall be dissecting the anthem line by line [following this up with a brief commentary]:

LINE 1-2: Arise, O Compatriots, Nigeria's call obey
Stand up, fellow citizens...stand up to what? [you may ask]- To your responsibility- to contribute your own quota towards national development. Your responsibility is not limited to the job you do as there is a need to raise your voice against the injustice you see around you. Your 'beloved' is calling you out to rise above the shackles that years of mismanagement have visited upon her...Nigeria is earnestly calling out for your service.

LINE 3-4: To serve our Fatherland...With love and strength and faith
It is not just about serving but service must be rendered from the heart with a mind that is attuned towards maintaining good moral standards. The service should not be done with selfish interest which stokes the ember of corruption- I am tempted to ask: 'do the politicians who embezzle national treasure ever get to reason things out before engaging in the act? Furthermore, we are called to serve with vibrancy: many [citizens] have lost this plot because they have been discouraged by the actions of those in administration at different points in time. Nevertheless, to be a faithful citizen, one has got to wane off the negative external factors [that had repressed the mind] and start impacting positive change(s) right from one's area of influence.

LINE 5-6: The labour of our heroes past...Shall never be in vain
Why must you arise, O Compatriots? You should arise simply because that which has been put in place [by our founding fathers] must not be allowed to wobble and fall. Even though you might have doubts over the intentions of past heroes; it is very necessary, at this point, to put aside our differences and work hand-in-hand to sustain our 'beloved'.

LINE 7: To serve with heart and might
Considering SERVICE once again, questions begin to pop up:
Do we still have men who are willing to serve wholeheartedly?
Is there fervency in our commitment to this nation- 'our forgotten beloved'?
Where is the spirit of patriotism?
Rather than asking 'what is in it for me?' [when it boils down to service to the nation] shouldn't we start looking at what our unborn generations would be left with? It is high time we started putting our 'widow's mite' into nation building- whatever [be it time and energy] you can put in would go a long way.

LINE 8-9: One nation bound in...freedom, peace and unity
This final lines of the first stanza of our national anthem is quite weighty as it borders on a whole lot of issues. This nation is meant to be one but how can this oneness be sustained when we have various ethnic groups with some even feeling 'marginalized'? The answer lies in being committed to nation building and promoting national interest above ethnical and political preferences- this goes to citizens and politicians alike.

Again, this one nation was supposed to be bound in freedom, peace and unity...but has this been the case: Is there freedom where we see religious and ethnic violence? Worst still, justice seems unfair to those that have been victimized by these acts of violence. And is there unity where a fellow citizen sees colour and/or ethnicity above the need to preserve humanity?

If this nation is to be held together as one; action plan(s) must be drawn and the foundational values upon which this 'beloved' of ours was built must be reviewed. I believe that we can start the journey of 'making right the wrongs' of many yesteryears by going back to the 'beginning'- our national anthem; singing it with our hearts in it...let's make Nigeria great again...

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.