Nigerians are now required to seek formal approval from the National Orientation Agency (NOA) before using the national anthem, according to a recent directive from the Federal Government to prevent potential misuse or misinterpretation of the anthem.
The Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, emphasized the importance of obtaining permission, stating, “As custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is tasked with preventing all forms of misuse. Permission must be sought from the agency to avoid misrepresentation.”
To promote awareness and understanding of the new policies and guidelines, sensitization campaigns will be conducted across the 36 states of the federation. Additionally, Issa-Onilu clarified that the official colors of the Nigerian flag remain green, white, and green, with the specific shade of green being Emerald 2.0.
Interestingly, President Bola Tinubu recently signed a bill re-adopting Nigeria’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was originally written by Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Berda in 1959. This anthem was replaced in 1978 but has now been restored.
The Nigerian national anthem has changed over the years.
The previous anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” was adopted in 1978 and used until 2024. It was created by combining the best entries from a national contest, with lyrics written by P.O. Aderibigbe, Eme Etim Akpan, John A. Ilechukwu, B.A. Ogunnaike, and Sota Omoigui.
