The peculiar story of Nigeria’s ‘new national anthem’

Nigerians were outraged when the president signed a measure changing the country’s new national anthem into law. An earlier rendition of the ‘new’ hymn was played from October 1960 to October 1978, the year before the first period of military administration came to an end.

Read Also: REWIND: A 2014 national conference suggested playing the former national anthem again.

The former anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee,’ was written by two British women, Lilian Jean Williams and Frances Berda. In contrast, ‘Arise, O Compatriots’ was composed by five members of the Nigerian police, band and has been performed and sung all over the world for almost 50 years.

In less than a week, the new anthem’s bill made it through parliament. Supporters of the reform in the ruling party say the ancient anthem sparked ‘feelings of nostalgia and fond memories of the country’s early years,’ which contributed to the formation of national identity and unity.

Many Nigerians are dissatisfied with the quick amendment. The announcement of a new-old anthem, made public on the day of the president’s first anniversary, seems like a hurried attempt to create a feel-good anchor to divert attention from a challenging year for the locals.

If only there had been comparably swift fixes for the skyrocketing costs of food and medication, as well as for stabilizing a currency that was still losing value.

new national anthem