Nigeria Adopts New National Anthem Amid Criticism Over Hasty Legislation
Nigeria adopted a new national anthem on Wednesday, May 29, after lawmakers passed a law replacing the current anthem with a version discarded nearly 50 years ago. This move has sparked widespread criticism regarding the law’s rapid passage without substantial public input.
President Bola Tinubu signed the law a day after it was swiftly approved by both chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly, which is dominated by the governing party. The bill was introduced and passed in less than a week, an unusually fast process for significant legislation that typically takes weeks or months.
The replaced anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” had been in use since 1978, introduced by the military government in a period following a deadly civil war. It urged Nigerians to “serve our fatherland with love and strength” and to honor the efforts of past heroes.
The new anthem, “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” originally introduced in 1960 when Nigeria gained independence from Britain, was written by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate. The anthem, which was dropped by the military, took immediate effect and was played publicly for the first time during a legislative session attended by Tinubu, who marked his one year in office as president.
Many Nigerians expressed their opposition to the new anthem on social media. Oby Ezekwesili, a former education minister and presidential aspirant, criticized the new law, stating it demonstrated a disregard for public interest. She pointed out that the anthem contains terms like “Native Land” and “Tribes,” which she deemed inappropriate for modern Nigeria.
Supporters of the new anthem argued that it was inappropriate for the country to continue using an anthem introduced by the military. Public affairs analyst Frank Tietie stated, “Anthems are ideological recitations that help the people to be more focused. It was a very sad development for the military to have changed the anthem.”
