Return to Old National Anthem: ‘Will It Solve Current Hardship?’ – Nigerians React

The House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday advocating for the reinstatement of Nigeria’s old national anthem, Nigeria, We Hail Thee.

The bill swiftly progressed through all three readings in a matter of minutes and also received approval during its second reading in the Senate. Some Nigerians are questioning the rush behind this decision, while others are pondering the potential outcomes of such a change.

It is worth noting that the old national anthem was composed by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate residing in Nigeria during independence, with lyrics later set to music by Frances Berda.

This prompts an inquiry into what issues exist with the current anthem, Arise, O Compatriots, created by P. O. Aderibigbe, John A. Ilechukwu, Dr. Sota Omoigui, Eme tim Akpan and B.A. Ogunnaike; and set to music by Benedict Odiase.

According to legislators, the existing anthem is deemed impractical, leading to a decision to change it. Despite this, numerous Nigerians have expressed varying perspectives on the proposed bill, with their reactions gathered from social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).