Senate Passes Bill to Reintroduce Old National Anthem

The Senate on Tuesday, May 28, passed the National Anthem Bill 2024, which seeks to reintroduce the old anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The red chamber had last week passed the bill for first and second reading and committed it to its committee on judiciary, human rights, and legal matters for further legislative work.

The passage of the bill for a third reading followed the consideration and approval of the report of the committee.The chairman of the committee, Senator Mohammed Monguno (APC – Borno North) presented the report.The House of Representatives also passed the bill for a third reading last week.

Monguno in his presentation asked the Senate to pass the bill based on its importance.He said: “The parliament considers this bill important and the National Anthem is a representation of the country’s history, culture, and people.

“The proposed bill is apt, timely, and important.”

Thereafter, the Senate resolved into the committee of the whole to consider the clauses of the bill and subsequently passed them.The former anthem, ‘Nigeria, We Hail Thee,’ was adopted as the country’s first national anthem on October 1, 1960, but was dropped in 1978 by the Olusegun Obasanjo military regime.