VIDEO: How Tinubu achieved ‘desire’ of returning Nigeria to old national anthem one year after assuming office
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday assented to the National Anthem Bill 2024 reverting to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”.
“This morning, Mr President signed into an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem 2024,” Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said on Wednesday at a joint session of the National Assembly marking the Silver Jubilee Of Nigeria’s 4th Republic. The occasion coincided with the first anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Tinubu, who later joined the joint session, confirmed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ as the “latest national anthem”.
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Akpabio said the sitting was primarily to launch the new national anthem, explaining that the President would not be making a speech because he has to leave to launch the Abuja metro line.
The Senate and the House of Representatives had previously passed the legislation to swap the national anthem from “Arise, O Compatriots” to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” at separate sittings.
Following the signing of the bill by the President to reintroduce the old national anthem, the joint sitting jettisoned what has been in existence since 1978, to adopt the former (and newly signed) national anthem ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
NewsClick Nigeria reports that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) had earlier said the decision to change the country’s national anthem should be subjected to an extensive process.
The old anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”, composed when Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, has replaced the “Arise, O Compatriots” anthem.
Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during its independence, penned the lyrics for “Nigeria, we hail thee,” while Frances Berda composed the music.
I’ll revert to old national anthem if I have my way – Tinubu in 2022
Meanwhile, a flashback to year 2022 revealed that Tinubu always wanted the old national anthem to make a return.
In an interview granted during the celebration of Nigeria’s Independence Day in 2022, Tinubu revealed his preference for the old anthem over the current version.
He said the old anthem “described us much better” and added that “if I had my way, I would bring back our first national anthem”.
“We must guard our democracy jealously because we are one Nigeria. And we should be proud of our past,” Tinubu had said.
“In fact, if I had my way, I would bring back our first national anthem. That described us much better. I don’t know why we changed it. [The anthem] is about service, diversity, and commitment to value our nation-building.”
