FG Enforces Approval for National Anthem, Kicks Off Nationwide Campaign

By Adejumo Adekunle

The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to obtain official approval before using the national anthem in any context. This directive was issued in a statement by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, who explained that the measure is aimed at preventing potential misinterpretation.

Issa-Onilu further announced that press conferences will be organized in all states to kickstart a sensitization campaign focused on the agency’s new policies. However, he did not clarify the specific circumstances in which permission must be sought for singing the anthem or utilizing its lyrics.

You would recall that one year into his presidency, Nigeria’s leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, enacted the National Anthem Bill into law, reinstating the anthem that preceded the one adopted in 1978. The bill was presented for its first and second readings on the Senate floor on May 23, passed on May 28, and promptly signed by the president the following day.

In the House of Representatives, the bill progressed through its first, second, and third readings all within the same day.