Professor Felicia Adebola-Adedoyin, composer of the National Pledge, has passed on at the age of 83 years.
She reportedly died at the week end, following a brief illness.
Prof. Adedoyin, who lectured at the University of Lagos and was a consultant with the United Nations, composed the National Pledge in 1976.
She was propelled to write The Pledge following questions by her children who had been used to reciting the Oath of Allegiance while in school in New York, and the State Pledge in Achimota School, Ghana.
The Pledge was published in the Daily Times on July 15, in an article titled ‘Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge’ which was shown to the then Head of State, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, who modified it and introduced it to the country during the formal launch of the Universal Free Primary Education (UPE) and decreed that all school children recite the national pledge in assembly.
In 2005, Prof Adedoyin was given a national award, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).