Pa Odiase

Pa Benedict Odiase (August 25, 1934 – June 11, 2013) was a Nigerian composer who composed "Arise, O Compatriots," the national anthem of Nigeria. "Arise, O Compatriots," which was adopted in 1978, replaced the country's previous national anthem, "Nigeria, We Hail Thee".
Odiase was born in 1934, and raised in the now defunct Bendel State (now split between present-day Edo State and Delta State). Odiase died from a short illness on June 11, 2013, at the age of 79.