The National Anthem Bill 2024, which reinstates the previous national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee,” has received President Bola Tinubu’s approval.
“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”.
According to the President of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the main purpose of the joint session of the National Assembly was to introduce the new national anthem. He added that the President would not speak to the joint session because he must depart to inaugurate the Abuja metro line.
The bill to change the national anthem from “Arise, O Compatriots” to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was previously approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives during different sessions.
The joint sitting adopted the former (and newly signed) national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee,” as a replacement for the one that had been in use since 1978 after the President signed the bill reintroducing the old version.
The song “Arise, O Compatriots” has been replaced by the older tune “Nigeria, we hail thee,” written on October 1, 1960, the day Nigeria attained independence.
The anthem “Nigeria, we hail thee” was written by British expatriate Lillian Jean Williams, who resided in Nigeria during the country’s independence. At the same time, Frances Berda was responsible for creating the music. The anthem greatly influenced Nigeria’s national identity and togetherness in the 1960s and late 1970s.
New Nigeria National Anthem Lyrics
Wondering what are the new Nigerian national anthem lyrics and trying to learn how to sing the new Nigerian national anthem? Here is the text transcript below.
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.
