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.

The Star