The Federal Government has announced plans to call for entries to produce a new national anthem with an authentic Nigerian melody.
This was disclosed by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Wednesday in Abuja.
During the presentation of the official version of the new national anthem, the Director General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, addressed journalists to clear up any doubts about the correct lyrics of the anthem as specified in the Act signed by the President.
Issa-Onilu stated, “The NOA will call for entries for the production of an authentic Nigerian melody, taking into consideration the indigenous instrumentation of the Nigerian people.
The effective date for the entries and the procedure will be announced through NOA channels in the coming week.”
He also mentioned that the new national anthem aligns with the nation’s ideology and has received widespread commendation from well-meaning Nigerians.
Recall that in a legislative shift on May 29, President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reinstating Nigeria’s original anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”
The reinstatement of the original anthem, which served as Nigeria’s national song from independence in 1960 until 1978, marks a return to the country’s early post-independence era.
This development was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a joint session of the National Assembly.