THROWBACK: ‘I’d Bring Back First National Anthem If I Had My Way; It Describes Us Better’ –Tinubu Expressed Personal Preference For ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ In 2022 Interview
In a 2022 interview on the occasion of the 62nd independence anniversary of Nigeria, Tinubu expressed his personal preference for the then-former national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ over ‘Arise Oh Compatriots’.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday gave his assent to the National Anthem Bill 2024 reverting the country to the old national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, revealed this on Wednesday at a joint session of the National Assembly marking the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic.
In a 2022 interview on the occasion of the 62nd independence anniversary of Nigeria, Tinubu expressed his personal preference for the then-former national anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ over ‘Arise Oh Compatriots’. Tinubu said if he had his way, he would make Nigeria jettison ‘Arise Oh Compatriots’ for ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’.
He said in the interview. “In fact, if I have my way, I would bring back our old, first national anthem. That described us much more better. I don’t know why we changed it. It is about service it is about diversity, it is about commitment to value and nation-building, so that is my message.”
‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee is the national anthem of Nigeria, used from independence in 1960 until 1978, before it was readopted by the Tinubu government in May 2024. ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ was adopted as the country’s first national anthem on October 1, 1960. It was written by a British expatriate, Lillian Jean Williams, and composed by Frances Berda.
Nigeria announced a competition and welcomed entries when it wanted to change ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee’ as the national anthem. The committee chose five winners and combined their entries into one. The five Nigerians whose lyrics were merged into one were P. O. Aderibigbe, John A. Ilechukwu, Dr. Sota Omoigui, Eme Etim Akpan and B.A. Ogunnaike. ‘Arise, O Compatriots was composed in 1978 by Mr. Ben Odiase, the director of the Nigerian Band.
