President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed into law a bill for the reversion to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”.
This was made known by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Wednesday, at a joint session of the National Assembly marking the Silver Jubilee Of Nigeria’s 4th Republic.
President Tinubu’s assent of the National Anthem Bill 2024 coincided with the first anniversary of his administration, which began in May 2023.
“This morning, Mr President signed into an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem 2024,” Akpabio said.
He said the sitting was primarily to launch the new national anthem, and disclosed 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’.
Tinubu, who later joined the joint session, confirmed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ when Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, as the latest national anthem, replacing the “Arise, O Compatriots” anthem.
Read the new Anthem Lyrics:
Nigeria, we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tr!be 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.
