-Deborah Akinyosoye
The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to seek formal approval before using the national anthem, to avoid potential misuse or misinterpretation.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, emphasised the importance of obtaining permission from the agency before the anthem or its lyrics are used.
“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 read in part.
Issa-Onilu revealed that sensitisation campaigns would soon be held across the 36 states of the federation to provide clarity on the agency’s new policies and guidelines.
The NOA boss also addressed the issue of the Nigerian flag, stressing that its official colours remain green, white, and green, with the specific shade of green being Emerald 2.0.
The DG lamented that past administrations focused too heavily on infrastructure development while neglecting value orientation, which led to the decline of social intervention structures like the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and even the National Orientation Agency itself.
He credited President Bola Tinubu for recognising this gap and supporting the revival of value-based initiatives.
The President signed into law a bill re-adopting Nigeria’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” on the first anniversary of his administration.
The anthem, originally written by Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Berda in 1959, was dropped by a military government in 1978 but has now been restored.