Tribes and tongues pluralised as FG releases standardised lyrics of newly reintroduced national anthem

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), on Wednesday, released the standardised lyrics of the newly reintroduced national anthem.

The Informant247 reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, signed a bill seeking to revert to the old national anthem, ‘Nigeria we hail thee’, which has generated lots of criticism from Nigerians.

However, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the director-general (DG) of NOA, while speaking at the presentation of the official version of the new national anthem in Abuja, said since reintroducing the old anthem, many Nigerians have shown enthusiasm and have already begun singing it.

Issa-Onilu said, “Most Nigerians above 50 have no issue with it. They’ve been looking for it. And we have seen that play out the way people have been singing it.”

“All across the country, we’ve been blown away by the kind of positive reactions, and we didn’t even expect it within 24 hours when it was signed. We saw schools already teaching and singing it.”

He said the anthem is part of the national identity project of the President Bola Tinubu administration, which is one of the “seven programmes for the institutionalisation of our national values”, adding that the objective of the event was to present the official version, which would clear all doubts about the correct lyrics as contained in the Act signed by the president.

He said, “We call the attention of Nigerians to line three (3) of the first stanza, which reads: Though tribes and tongues may differ. Note that the words ‘tribes’ and ‘tongues’ are in the plural.”

“We want you to also note that line five (5) of the first stanza reads: Nigerians all, are proud to serve. The words ‘are’ not ‘and’ is correct.”

On the official instrumental and audio rendition, Issa-Onilu said the NOA “will call for entries for the production of an authentic Nigerian melody, taking into cognisance the indigenous instrumentation of the Nigerian people.”.

“The effective date for the entries and the procedure will be announced through
NOA channels in the coming week,” he added.

See the lyrics of the standardised national anthem below

Stanza 1

Nigeria, we hail thee

Our own dear native land

Though tribes and tongues may differ

Advertisement
In brotherhood, we stand

Nigerians all, are proud to serve

Our sovereign Motherland.

Stanza 2

Our flag shall be a symbol

That truth and justice reign

In peace or battle, honour’d,

And this we count as gain,

To hand on to our children

A banner without stain.

Stanza 3

O God of all creation

Grant this our one request,

Help us to build a nation

Where no man is oppressed,

And so with peace and plenty

Nigeria may be blessed.