Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends of Nigeria every year. They were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during the First Nigerian Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.
These honours are distinct from the honours that are part of the country's ancient chieftaincy system, which is a separate (but also legally defined) entity. National Honours are the highest honours or awards that a citizen can receive from their country for service to the country.
Honours
The Nigerian National Honours, in descending order of importance, are: RibbonNameCreation DateRanksDescriptionOrder of the Federal Republic1963Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR)Customarily bestowed on former occupants of the office of President of Nigeria including former military heads of state of Nigeria.Order of the Niger1963Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)Customarily respectively bestowed on former occupants of the office of Vice President of Nigeria including former Chiefs of General Staff. The GCON is also customarily bestowed on the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the President of the Nigerian Senate during their first year in office, while the CON is customarily bestowed on Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
Medals RibbonNameCreation DateDescriptionDefence Service Medal (DSM)Honours those who fought on the government side during the Nigerian Civil War.Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)Forces Service Star (FSS)General Service Medal (GSM) Meritorious Service Star (MSS)National Service Medal (NSM)Republic Medal (RM)October 1, 1973It was awarded to all serving members of the Nigerian Armed Forces on October 1, 1973, marking the 10th anniversary of the creation of the republic.
State honours Some Nigerian states also have state-specific honours which are bestowed on highly selective individuals, ranging from former presidents, governors to other distinguished personalities. An example of such are the Kogi State Honours which involve the conferment of State Honours in four different ranks of honour, including: Grand Confluence Silver Service Star Distinguished Confluence Silver Service Star (DCSSS) Confluence Merit Silver Service Star (CMSSS) Confluence Commendation Silver Service Star (CCSSS)
Recognized awards of Nigerian traditional states NameKingdomCreation DateDescriptionRoyal Order of Iwere Kingdom of Warri2024Established by Ogiame Atuwatse III, Olu of Warri. Second only to chieftainship in the kingdom.Jigon Bauchi Bauchi EmirateJagoran BauchiDujiman BauchiHonours members of the civil service.
References
External links
Orders, Decorations and Medals of the Republic of Nigeria - Ribbon Chart Nigeria National Merit Award - Presidency of Nigeria. Retrieved 18 August 2016. Worlds awards Nigeria: National Honours Awards 2010 and 2011 , Economic Confidential. Retrieved 18 August 2016.