It’s Independence day, so what better way to bask in our Nigerian-ness than to listen to 9 beautifully written songs about Nigeria, by Nigerians, that will make you feel everything, from joy to nostalgia.
1. Funmi Adams’ “Nigeria My Beloved Country”
Arguably the best song on this list, Funmi Adams’ classic brings pure nostalgia and joy to every listener. It talks about unification and what it means to be a true Nigerian.
2. Onyeka Onwenu’s “One Love”
My personal favorite on the list, ‘One love’ is a song that promotes love and unity amongst Nigerians. It’s a near perfect song that really deserves its ‘classic’ tag, if for nothing else but its powerful message.
3. TY Bello’s “Green Land”
A beautiful song with an even more beautiful message about hope, patience, and reward. It also helps that it is really catchy and perfectly performed.
4. Timi Dakolo’s “Great Nation”
Arguably Timi Dakolo’s best song, and with his impressive discography, that is really saying something. The lyrics tell us how we can build a great nation through peace, unity and justice.
5. Sound Sultan’s “Motherland”
Motherland is more of a plea than anything else. It’s aimed at Nigerians in foreign countries that left with the promise of returning. Sound Sultan tries to remind us that no matter what Nigeria will always be our home.
6. Evi Edna’s “One Kilometer”
Evi Edna’s song literally reflects how diverse Nigeria really is. The song speaks about tribes in Nigeria from the North, Easth, West and South and their languages; it is basically an enjoyable social studies class.
7. Sunny Okosun’s “Which Way Nigeria”
The smash hit addressed issues which plagued Nigerians at the time of its release in the ’80s, sung by Sunny Okosun, one of the few at the time brave enough to have questioned the powers that be. The song still rings true decades later.
8. Veno Marioghae’s “Nigeria Go Survive”
This brilliant song was released during the military regime when Nigerians clamored for basic amenities. The lyrics provided hope in that time of crisis; and it is still surprisingly as effective today.
9. King Sunny Ade’s “The Way Forward”
Due to ethnic and religious uprisings at the time, King Sunny Ade recorded this powerhouse song to advise politicians to bury their hatchets, reminding them the efforts of Nigerians to obtain Independence, and today feels as right a time as any to listen (and I mean, really listen) to it again.
Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!
