A video from 2022 has resurfaced on social media, providing insight into President Bola Tinubu’s long-held ambition to revert Nigeria’s national anthem back to the previous “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” a move he officially enacted this week by signing the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law.
The video, posted on the “Nigeria Stories” X (formerly Twitter) page, captures Tinubu, then a presidential candidate, declaring, “If I have my way, I will bring back our first national anthem.”
This statement foreshadowed Tinubu’s recent decision to discard the “Arise O Compatriots” anthem adopted by a military government in 1978, and reinstate the lyrics written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.
While Tinubu became president in 2023, the resurfaced clip from the previous year showcases his long-standing commitment to reverting to the old anthem, which he has now fulfilled nearly a year into his tenure.
The passage of the National Anthem Bill marks the first time Nigeria’s national anthem has received legal backing, enshrining “Nigeria We Hail Thee” as the country’s official anthem once again after over four decades.
Supporters of the move argue that the old anthem better captures Nigeria’s diversity and aspirations for unity, while critics have questioned the lack of wider public consultations before enacting the change.
Regardless of the debate, the resurfaced 2022 video provides evidence that Tinubu’s decision to restore the old anthem was not a sudden shift, but rather a goal he had voiced and intended to pursue if elected to the highest office.
As Nigeria embraces its old national anthem once again, the resurfaced footage serves as a reminder of Tinubu’s long-standing vision and follows through on a pledge he had made to Nigerians well before assuming the presidency.
