President Bola Tinubu has officially signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reinstating the old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
This event was announced on Wednesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a joint session of the National Assembly, marking the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic.
News About Nigeria reports that the occasion also coincided with the first anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration.
“This morning, Mr President signed into an Act of Parliament, the newly passed National Anthem 2024,” Akpabio announced to the assembly.
The joint session was convened specifically to introduce and celebrate the new national anthem.
President Tinubu, who attended the session, confirmed the reinstatement of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” as the “latest national anthem.”
Akpabio clarified that the sitting was primarily for the anthem’s launch, and noted that the President would not be delivering a speech as he was scheduled to leave shortly to inaugurate the Abuja metro line.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, has said that the public needs to be involved in the decision to change the national anthem.
Speaking before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on Monday, Fagbemi argued that such a huge decision should not be made solely by lawmakers or the president.
Fagbemi suggested that the process of selecting a national anthem should involve extensive citizen participation, drawing parallels with other African nations whose anthems symbolise the end of colonial rule.
He noted that many former British colonies replaced “God Bless the Queen” with anthems written by their own citizens.
“It is not out of place for Nigeria to be guided by the process of evolution of a national anthem in other jurisdictions,” Fagbemi said.
He proposed that the process should include zonal public hearings, resolutions from the Federal Executive Council, the Council of States, national and state assemblies, and input from various stakeholders.
Fagbemi concluded, “The outcome of this process is bound to be a true reflection of the wishes of the generality or majority of Nigerians.”
