President Bola Tinubu has officially signed into law the National Anthem Bill 2024, reinstating the old national anthem of Nigeria, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” Senate President Godswill Akpabio disclosed this during a joint session of the National Assembly commemorating the 25th anniversary of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic on Wednesday, May 29.
The event, as reported by Channels TV, is expected to be attended by President Tinubu himself. Akpabio emphasized that the unveiling of the new national anthem is the focal point of the gathering. However, he clarified that President Tinubu would not deliver a speech as he needs to depart for the official inauguration of the Abuja metro line.
The legislation to reinstate the national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” in place of “Arise, O Compatriots,” had previously been passed separately by both chambers of the National Assembly. This move reinstates the older national anthem, which was first adopted on October 1, 1960, superseding the previous anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots.”
“Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was composed by Frances Berda, with lyrics penned by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during the country’s independence era.
