President Bola Tinubu has officially signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law, reinstating Nigeria’s original anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The announcement was made by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during a joint session of the National Assembly commemorating the Silver Jubilee of Nigeria’s 4th Republic on Wednesday.

President Tinubu, who made a brief appearance at the session, confirmed the reinstatement of the original anthem. Akpabio noted that the session’s main purpose was to launch the new anthem, and that President Tinubu would not be delivering a speech, as he had to attend the launch of the Abuja metro line.

The decision to revert to the old anthem followed the passage of the bill by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” originally composed at the time of Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960, will replace “Arise, O Compatriots.”

The lyrics of “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” were written by Lillian Jean Williams, a British expatriate living in Nigeria during its independence, with music composed by Frances Berda. The anthem played a significant role in fostering Nigeria’s national identity and unity during the 1960s and late 1970s.