Nigeria has formally reverted to its old national anthem, which was bequeathed to it by the colonial power of Britain. President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill into law today, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, on the first anniversary of his presidency.
The colonial national anthem was titled “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” The current anthem, now apparently jettisoned, is “Arise, O Compatriots.”
“Arise, O Compatriots” was adopted as Nigeria’s national anthem in 1978 under military Head of State Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo. The lyrics were words and phrases selected from five of the best entries in a national anthem contest that year.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the presidential assent to the bill on Wednesday, May 29, at a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives.
President Bola Tinubu was in the parliament today. He was expected to address the people’s representatives. The Senate President later clarified that the president was in the parliament building only to greet the lawmakers and commission the National Assembly Library, and not to give a speech.
Earlier, the president’s advisers differed on whether the president would give a speech to the nation. There is now a consensus that he will not be until June 12, Nigeria’s Democracy Day commemoration.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas took the fall for the presidency, He apologized for the earlier misinformation about the president’s visit and blamed it on a mistake on the part of the National Assembly.
“The president has said that whatever speech we have to give should be shifted to June 12, which is Democracy Day, so to this effect, the president will come to flag off the recitation of the new national anthem after giving assent to it and will then proceed to other important engagements“, he said.
What argument led to the U-turn on the anthem remains uncertain. Lawmakers rushed through the bill in both chambers of the National Assembly last week.
President Bola Tinubu has been at odds with ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo. They both come from the same Yoruba ethnic wing of the country but differ significantly in their political leanings. It is not known if the anthem change is aimed at denying the ex-president one of his enduring legacies.
However, analysts argue that changing the national anthem, let alone reverting to a colonial one, is merely window-dressing Nigeria’s problems. They say the crux of Nigeria’s underdevelopment stems from the greed and corruption of the ruling political elite, not the lyrics of its anthem, both of which contain glowing words.
Readopted National Anthem “Nigeria We Hail Thee”
Our own dear native land
Though tribes and tongue may differ
In brotherhood we stand
Nigerians all, are 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 shall be blessed.
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