President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday assented the bill supporting the return of the Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by a military government in 1978 headed by General Olusegun Obasanjo.
The assent came barely few days after the two legislative chambers had passed the bill.
The newly re-adopted anthem, which starts with “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was penned by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed into music by Frances Berda.
Speaking in commemoration of his first year in office, President Tinubu said the anthem symbolised Nigeria’s diversity and unity.
The president added that the re-adoption of the anthem was in true service to the motherland.
Commenting on the development, Senate President Goodwill Akpabio commended president Tinubu for taking “Nigeria back to its genealogy”.
Akpabio noted that the return to the old national anthem represented a revolution spearheaded by the national assembly to deepen a sense of unity and brotherhood in the country.
Obnoxious law: How are Nigerians reacting?
Oby Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education, expressed disapproval over the anthem and branded the law as obnoxious.
The ex-minister, who spoke via her X handle, vowed not to sing the new national anthem, adding the law is “repugnant to all that is of good conscience in Nigeria.”
Similarly, an ex-lawmaker by the name of Sheu Sani described the development as a misplacement of priority given the existential crises bedevilling the country.
Expressing his position on his social handle, Sani wrote, “Nigeria is facing serious economic and security challenges but it’s prioritising changing its national anthem. We have bacterial infection, we opted for Prada fragrance instead of Penicillin.”
The lawmaker had earlier advised the national assembly to subject the change to wider consultations, adding the national anthem represented one of the Nigeria’s important pillars.
Nigerians abroad react
Nigerians living abroad conveyed their disappointment over the development, stressing that a change of national anthem at the moment was unnecessary.
Professor Moses Ochonu, a prominent Nigerian historian based in the United States who reacted to the development on his Facebook page, described the old anthem as “outdated and inconsistent with twenty first century aspirations and sensibilities.”
“The first stanza alone should signal to any forward-thinking person rooted in the century that the backward-facing and is not appropriate for or compatible with how Nigerians of generation understand their country”, he added.
Folorunso Fatai Adisa, a communications practitioner who resides in Glasgow United Kingdom, also said the change of anthem was needless.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Mr Fatai noted the abandoned anthem “evokes patriotism with promises and prayers embedded in its lines.”
A Nigerian academic in Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Soji Cole, lamented the incredulity of Nigerian leaders, challenging Nigerians to wake up to the responsibility of genuinely holding leaders accountable.
“As patriotic citizens, what we need to do is to raise our voices continually against the band of clueless criminals who are currently leading the country! We should all be very angry. I have constant paranoia knowing that an hardworking Nigerian can no longer afford to cook a pot of good soup. My paranoia becomes intense when I realize that if I were in Nigeria, I will be in that shoe of hungry people. We don’t have to focus our patriotism on learning any anthem. We need to focus it on attacking the insensitive and unbridled pilferers that are in government”, he wrote.
Oladimeji Shiru, a Nigerian based in Southampton, branded the decision of the government as a ploy to distract Nigerians from pertinent issues.
Mr Shiru bemoaned the challenges confronting the country, adding the government should have focused on policies to alleviate the toll on the people
“As with every government in Nigeria, this administration was desperate to show Nigerians what it’s done since its emergence. So this is a technical way to distract Nigerians from the real issues affecting them. The government understand what they’re doing. The speed with which the bill was passed spoke volumes. For me, the change of national anthem comes at the wrong time and that explains the outrage from Nigerians”, he told our correspondent.
Not a yardstick to measure hardship
A media practitioner and commentator on public policy issues, Mr Basheer Luqman Olarewaju, however said the development was a commendable return to Nigeria’s cultural and historical roots.
Mr Luqman, who described the content of the readopted anthem as rich and deep, added that it is not a yardstick to measure hardships confronting Nigerians.
“In light of the complex challenges that our nation faces, such as insecurity, economic instability, and social inequality, some may argue that redirecting attention and resources towards a change in the national anthem could be considered a misuse of government efforts, especially when more pressing issues remain unaddressed. To me, I do not think it out of the way. Why? Whether they change it or not, the existing policies are not majorly favourable to the masses and National Anthem is not a yardstick to measure our hardship. We only like to attach things to others. The sentiment that the government may have prioritized this issue inappropriately is not unwarranted, especially considering the multitude of unresolved matters that continue to plague our country”, he noted.
Mr Luqman, however, called for deep reflections on the potential consequences of prioritizing external validation over internal development.
The national anthem, just as national flag, coat of arms and others, is an important symbol with which Nigeria is identified.
One wonders whether this important decision will strengthen the national spirit of togetherness unarguably necessary to address the pivotal challenges confronting the country.
The Newly adopted Nigerian Anthem (introduced: 1960-1978, re-adopted: 2024)
Nigeria we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribe and tongue may differ,
In brotherhood we stand,
Nigerians all, and proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour’d,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.
O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria may be blessed.
The Relinquished National Anthem (From 1978-2024)
Arise, O compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey
To serve our fatherland
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with heart and might
One nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.
Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause
Guide our leader’s right
Help our youth the truth to know
In love and honesty to grow
And living just and true
Great lofty heights attain
To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.
