President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Anthem Bill, 2024 reverting to the old national anthem of “Nigeria We Hail Thee”.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, announced this on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 during a joint session of the National Assembly to mark 25 years of uninterrupted democracy.
The joint session sang the new national anthem before the arrival of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima among other top government functionaries.
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’.
The old anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”, composed when Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, has replaced the “Arise, O Compatriots” anthem.
The new 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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