President Bola Tinubu’s decision to revert to the old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” has sparked criticism, with many viewing it as a regression to colonial influences.
Among the critics is former Senator Shehu Sani, who took to his official X (formerly Twitter) page to express his disapproval.
Sani said that the nation is currently battling with economic and security issues, and the government’s focus on changing the national anthem was misplaced.
“Nigeria is facing serious economic and security challenges but it’s prioritising changing its national anthem. We have bacterial infection, we opted for Prada fragrance instead of Penicillin,” he wrote.
News About Nigeria reported that the decision to reinstate the old anthem was formalised on Wednesday when President Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the change during a joint session of the National Assembly, marking the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic and the first anniversary of Tinubu’s administration.
“This morning, Mr President signed into an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem Bill 2024,” Akpabio informed the assembly.
The session was specifically convened to introduce and celebrate the re-adopted anthem.
President Tinubu confirmed the reinstatement of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as the “latest national anthem.”
Akpabio noted that the session’s primary purpose was the anthem’s launch and mentioned that President Tinubu would not deliver a speech as he was scheduled to inaugurate the Abuja metro line.
The anthem, originally composed by Lilian Jean Williams in 1960, was replaced in 1978 by “Arise, O Compatriots.”
