The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to seek formal approval before using the national anthem, to prevent possible misuse or misinterpretation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, stressed the need for individuals or organizations to obtain clearance from the agency before incorporating the anthem or its lyrics in any form.
Issa-Onilu highlighted the NOA’s role as guardians of Nigeria’s national symbols, ensuring they are not misused.
“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,” the statement explained.
To reinforce this directive, Issa-Onilu disclosed that awareness campaigns would be rolled out across the nation’s 36 states, aimed at educating citizens on the NOA’s new policies regarding the proper use of national symbols.
The Director General also addressed the proper representation of the Nigerian flag, clarifying that the official colours remain green, white, and green, with a specific shade of Emerald 2.0 used for the green portions.
He expressed concern over the historical decline in the promotion of national values, noting that past governments had overly concentrated on infrastructural projects while ignoring value-based social interventions.
This neglect, he argued, led to the dwindling influence of groups such as the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and even the NOA itself.
Issa-Onilu praised President Bola Tinubu for recognizing this oversight and supporting efforts to re-establish value-oriented programs.
In a major symbolic move, President Tinubu signed a bill re-adopting Nigeria’s former national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” on the first anniversary of his administration.
This anthem, written by Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Berda in 1959, was once the pride of the nation before being replaced by a military regime in 1978.
With its reinstatement, the administration hopes to revive a sense of national pride and identity rooted in Nigeria’s early post-independence years.
