The author of Nigeria’s national pledge, Prof. Felicia Adebola Adedoyin, has passed away on Saturday May 1st, after a brief illness. She was 82.
Born on the 6th of November1938, Adedoyin was a Princess from the Iji Ruling House of Saki, Saki West Local Government Area, Oke Ogun area of Oyo State.
An educationist, Adedoyin received her PhD in 1981 from the University of Lagos.
Prof. Adedoyin was propelled to write the pledge following questions by her children.
Her children were already familiar with reciting the Oath of Allegiance in their school in the United States and the State Pledge in Achimota School, Ghana.
At 36, she eventually got the pledge published in the Daily Times in July 15, 1976, 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 by decreeing that all school children recite the national pledge in there various school assembly.
Prof. Adedoyin, who lectured at the University of Lagos and was a consultant with the United Nations, wrote the national pledge in 1976.
In 2005, Prof Adedoyin was given a national award, the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
