President Bola Tinubu has approved the bill to revert to the old national anthem, signing it into law on Wednesday.
This decision was announced by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during an ongoing joint session of the National Assembly.
The bill seeks to replace the current anthem with the one used at Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960, which was changed in 1978 by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.
The Senate and the House of Representatives passed the bill on Tuesday and last Thursday, respectively.
Akpabio, addressing lawmakers, encouraged Nigerians to familiarize themselves with the new national anthem.
Upon President Tinubu’s arrival in the House chamber for the joint session, the new anthem was sung.
“This morning, Mr. President signed into law the newly passed national anthem 2024,” Akpabio stated.
“In our usual tradition, the deputy Senate President and the deputy speaker with the leaders will receive Mr. President now and usher him into the chamber for what I call ‘waka pass’,” he added.
Akpabio also mentioned that lawmakers will now refer to themselves as brothers rather than compatriots, as stated in the previous national anthem.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to embrace this spirit of brotherhood and spread it among one another.
