Nigeria’s new anthem, written by a Briton, sparks criticism after a contentious law is passed

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria adopted a new national anthem on Wednesday after lawmakers passed a law that replaced the current one with a version abandoned nearly half a century ago, sparking widespread criticism over how the law was hastily passed without much public participation.

President Bola Tinubu’s approval of the law comes a day after it was approved by both houses of Nigeria’s National Assembly, dominated by the ruling party. Federal lawmakers introduced and approved the bill in less than a week, an unusually quick process for major bills that typically take weeks or months to consider.

The “Arise, O Countrymen” hymn being replaced had been in use since 1978, when it was introduced by the military government. The anthem was composed at a time when the country was recovering from a deadly civil war and calls on Nigerians to “serve our country with love and strength” and not allow “the work of our heroes to be in vain.”

The new version that takes effect immediately was first introduced in 1960, when Nigeria gained independence from Britain before the military abandoned it. Titled “Nigeria We Hail Thee,” it was written by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate living in Nigeria at the time.

The new anthem was played publicly for the first time at a legislative session attended by Tinubu, who on Wednesday marked one year in office as president.

However, many Nigerians took to social media to say they will not sing the new national anthem, including Oby Ezekwesili, former education minister and presidential hopeful, who said the new law shows that the country’s political class does not care. . about the public interest.

“In 21st century Nigeria, the country’s political class found that a colonial National Anthem that has pejorative words like “Native Land” and “Tribes” was admirable enough to impose on our citizens without their consent,” Ezekwesili posted in x.

Supporters of the new anthem, however, argued that it was wrong for the country to have adopted an anthem introduced by the military.

“Hymns are ideological recitations that help people be more concentrated. It was very sad that the military had changed the anthem,” said public affairs analyst Frank Tietie.