The Nigerian Government has urged Nigerians to seek permission before using the national anthem, emphasizing the need to avoid misinterpretation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) Lanre Issa-Onilu, announced that press conferences will be held across all states to kick off a sensitization campaign regarding the agency’s new policies.
While the statement did not specify the contexts in which permission should be sought for the anthem’s use or its lyrics, Issa-Onilu asserted, “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.”
He also clarified the specifications of the Nigerian flag, stating it consists of green and white colors, with the correct shade of green being Emerald 2.0.
Issa-Onilu highlighted the agency’s transformation from its previously neglected state, noting significant achievements such as the establishment of audio-visual studios and the launch of an optimized NOA website featuring the CLHEEAN-NOA Artificial Intelligence voice and chat assistant.
He mentioned that these initiatives received full backing from President Bola Tinubu, who has recognized the importance of value orientation alongside infrastructure development.
Previous administrations, he noted, had overlooked the role of value orientation, contributing to the decline of social intervention structures like the Boys’ Scouts and the Girls’ Brigade.
The current administration aims to address this gap, with President Tinubu’s support leading to recent approvals from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) focused on the National Identity Project and value orientation.
Issa-Onilu introduced the new Citizen Value Brigade (CVB), advising parents not to allow their children to seek heroes elsewhere during their formative years. The initiative aims to instill Nigerian values in children, starting with 1,000 children per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and to cultivate homegrown heroes for future generations.
He also stressed the need for local cartoon content to counter foreign influences on young Nigerians. Issa-Onilu emphasized that both leaders and citizens share equal responsibility for national progress, explaining that the principles of Equality and Meritocracy within the Nigerian Promise a key aspect of the National Values Charter are essential for the country’s advancement.
He warned that Nigeria’s progress depends on active participation and adherence to these values. President Tinubu, on the first anniversary of his administration, signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem, which had been replaced by a military government in 1978.
The re-adopted anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.
