Nigerian senate, on Tuesday, approved a bill that aims to bring back the country’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, we hail thee.”
Nigerians will no longer sing “Arise, O Compatriots” as their national anthem; instead, they will sing “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” if the bill to return to the previous national anthem is signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. The bill passed its first and second readings on Thursday.
The present anthem, adopted in the late 1970s and is the nation’s second anthem, will be replaced by the previous anthem, which Pa Odiase penned upon Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960. The law aims to bring back the anthem that was discontinued 46 years prior, during the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo.
The song “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” was written by British expatriate Lillian Jean Williams, who resided in Nigeria during the country’s independence, while Frances Berda handled the musical arrangements. The anthem greatly influenced Nigeria’s national identity and togetherness in the 1960s and late 1970s.
Speaking on the impact of the ancient anthem, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said, “Upon rendition, it inspired deep patriotism among Nigerians. Those who lived through that era recognize its crucial role in our nation’s history, evoking nostalgia and fond memories of our early years.”
