New Government New Anthem – Tinubu Signs Bill Returning Old Anthem Into Law

President Bola Tinubu today, Wednesday signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law. The bill seeked to reinstate the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

This was disclosed by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the joint plenary that Tinubu attended, who later confirmed ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’ as the “latest national anthem”.

Akpabio said the sitting was primarily to launch the new national anthem, explaining that the President would not be making a speech because he has to leave to launch the Abuja metro line.

Officialy, the old anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee”, composed when Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960, has replaced the “Arise, O Compatriots” anthem.

Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate who lived in Nigeria during its independence, penned the lyrics for “Nigeria, we hail thee,” while Frances Berda composed the music. The anthem played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s national identity and unity during the 1960s and late 1970s.