In a move that has sparked widespread debate and frustration, Nigeria’s decision to revert to its old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has been met with significant resistance. The anthem, originally adopted at independence in 1960 and replaced in 1978, was reintroduced in May 2024 after Tinubu signed a bill passed by the National Assembly. However, nearly a year later, as reflected in a viral X post by user Mallam Jabir (@Mallam_jabeer) on March 23, 2025, the majority of Nigerians remain uninterested in embracing the change, with many prioritizing more pressing economic concerns over symbolic gestures.
The re-adoption of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” a post-colonial anthem written by Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Benda (a pen name for Mrs. Charles Kernot), was intended to symbolize Nigeria’s diversity and unity, according to President Tinubu. Speaking on his first anniversary in office in May 2024, Tinubu described the anthem as a representation of the country’s heritage. However, the decision to revert to the old anthem—dropped in 1978 by a military government in favor of “Arise, O Compatriots”—was met with immediate backlash. Critics, including former Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili, pointed to the anthem’s colonial undertones, with words like “native land” and “tribes” deemed pejorative and out of touch with 21st-century Nigeria.