Nigerian National Honours are a set of orders and decorations conferred upon Nigerians and friends ofNigeria every year. They were instituted by the National Honors Act No. 5 of 1964, during theFirst Nigerian Republic, to honour Nigerians who have rendered service to the benefit of the nation.[1]
These honours are distinct from the honours that are part of the country's ancientchieftaincy 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.
The Nigerian National Honours, in descending order of importance, are:
The GCFR and GCON are customarily respectively bestowed on former occupants of the office ofPresident of Nigeria andVice President of Nigeria including former military heads of state of Nigeria and Chiefs of General Staff. The GCON is also customarily bestowed on theChief Justice of Nigeria and the President of theNigerian Senate during their first year in office, while the CON is customarily bestowed on Justices of theSupreme Court of Nigeria.
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:
(1) Grand Confluence Silver Service Star ,
(2) Distinguished Confluence Silver Service Star (DCSSS),
(3) Confluence Merit Silver Service Star (CMSSS) and
(4) Confluence Commendation Silver Service Star (CCSSS).
