President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, returning Nigeria back to the old National Anthem: “Nigeria, we hail thee”.
The president signed the Bill into law yesterday.
Recall that on May 23, the House of Representatives passed a Bill to revert from the current anthem to Nigeria, We Hail Thee.
Both the Senate and the House had passed the Bill within a week.
With the signing, the National Anthem: ‘Arise O Compatriot’ will no longer be sung.
“Nigeria, We Hail Thee” is the former national anthem of the country, used from independence in 1960 until 1978. Nigeria’s present anthem: “Arise, O Compatriots”, was adopted in 1978, replacing “Nigeria, We Hail Thee”.
The “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” anthem’s lyrics were written by a British expatriate, Lillian Jean Williams, who lived in Nigeria when it achieved independence. Frances Berda composed the music.
