President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, assented to the National Anthem Bill 2024, reverting to Nigeria’s old national anthem.
The Senate and the House of Representatives recently passed the bill to revert to the previous national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”.
By assenting to the bill, the President has reintroduced the old national anthem, discarding “Arise O Compatriots “ which has been in existence since 1978, to adopt the former national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’, which was composed when Nigeria gained her independence on October, 1, 1960.
Confirming the signing on Wednesday, at a joint session of the National Assembly marking the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic and Tinubu’s one year in office, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said: “This morning, Mr President signed into law, an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem 2024.”
Tinubu, who later joined the joint session, confirmed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ as the “latest national anthem”.
Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during her independence, composed the lyrics for “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” while Frances Berda composed the music.
Below are the lyrics to Nigeria We Hail Thee, the now Nigeria Anthem:
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.