Arise Woman Africa

Rise up black woman and you all of other colours Rise up and grab your fallen baton Passed down from the hand of heroines past Rise up from the grave Amina Zazzau The lioness who hunted for lions to eat Rise up lest her exploits be forgotten Rise up to sheer bravery of Aba women Whose nudity deadened men’s manhood And broke the chains and shackles of injustice Rise up to the gallantry of the Dahomey women Whose fists waded off mighty warriors And secured a kingdom and its men Rise up in the spirit of Pupupu She who was first to ascend a throne And berthed the Ondo kingdom Rise upin the spirit of Efunroye Tinubu A lone voice that drowned the voices of million of men Whose wealth fuelled the economy of Egba nation Rise up in the power of Moremi The woman who dared what men feared To unravel the liberated her people Rise up in the spirit of Funmilayo Kuti The tigress who retreated before nobody Rise up in the spirit of Sawaba The nanny goat that played host in lion’s den Rise up girls and women From your kitchens, markets, stalls and offices Rise and keep up the dream of The golden palms that rocked our cradle