The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Wednesday, June 5, unveiled the approved version of Nigeria’s reintroduced national anthem, following the signing of a bill by President Bola Tinubu on May 29 to revert to the old anthem. The unveiling ceremony, held in Abuja, was led by NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu.
“This event is to present the official version which will clear all doubts about the correct lyrics as contained in the Act signed by the President,” Issa-Onilu stated.
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The goal of the exercise is to ensure that the lyrics of the national anthem are uniformly understood and correctly rendered by all Nigerians.
Issa-Onilu emphasized the importance of maintaining the consistency of the anthem’s lyrics and directed Nigerians to pay special attention to the precise wording in lines three and five of the first stanza.
He highlighted that the correct version of line three reads, “Though tribes and tongues may differ,” with both “tribes” and “tongues” in the plural form. Additionally, line five should be, “Nigerians all, are proud to serve,” with the word “are” correctly included, rather than “and.”
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The move to revert to the old anthem has been met with widespread interest, as the national anthem is a significant symbol of unity and pride for the country.
The NOA’s efforts to clarify and standardize the anthem’s lyrics reflect a broader commitment to national cohesion and identity.
President Bola Tinubu’s decision to reintroduce the former anthem underscores a return to tradition and a reinforcement of the values embodied in the historic lyrics.
As the nation adopts this standardized version, it aims to foster a sense of unity and patriotism among its citizens.