In a legislative shift, President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reinstating Nigeria’s original anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
This development was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a joint session of the National Assembly.
The reinstatement of the original anthem, which served as Nigeria’s national song from independence in 1960 until 1978, marks a return to the country’s early post-independence era.
Here is the anthem 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.
“Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was written by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate, and composed by Frances Berda.
Despite its initial role in shaping national identity, the anthem faced criticism over the years, because its composer was not Nigerian.
The recent legislative change, spearheaded by Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central), enjoyed robust support from lawmakers.
Advocates for the bill argued that the original anthem promotes a stronger symbol of unity, peace, and prosperity compared to its successor, “Arise, O Compatriots.”
Lawmakers emphasised that the current anthem was a product of the military regime and lacked the resonance of national values, ethics, and norms encapsulated in the independence anthem.
The old anthem reads: “Nigeria, we hail thee, our dear native land…” But what are the lyrics to the rest of the old national anthem?
