As reactions continue to trail the return to the old Nigerian national anthem, NewsNGR can report that in 2014, under then-President Goodluck Jonathan, the National Conference adopted the recommendation of its committee on political restructuring and forms of government that Nigeria should revert to its old national anthem.
Recall that on Thursday, President Bola Tinubu approved the bill for Nigeria to replace the ‘Arise O Compatriots’ anthem with ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee.’
This was, however, greeted with mixed reactions as many Nigerians rejected the move.
However, during a review of the committee’s report in 2014, delegates in support of the resolution recited the old anthem on the plenary floor, asserting that it promotes a stronger symbol of unity, peace, and prosperity compared to the current one, composed by the late Benedict Odiase.
Lillian Jean Williams composed the lyrics of the old anthem, which was sung between 1960 and 1978, while it was written by Frances Berda.
The conference also resolved that for Nigeria to achieve its goal of building a fully integrated nation, its citizens should live in unity and harmony as one indivisible entity under God.
watch as Tinubu and lawmakers sing the now approved anthem. Nigeria we hail thee.