The Nigerian government discusses a plan to change the national anthem and sets pass a bill to the national assembly to subject the Nigerian national anthem bill to a wider audience before passing it into law.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said in Abuja on Monday at a public hearing on the bill to renew the old national anthem.
It was titled: “A Bill for an Act to Provide for the National Anthem of Nigeria, and for Matters Related.”
It was a joint hearing organised by the Senate Committee of Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Interior. The House of Representatives accelerated and passed the bill in a single sitting on Thursday.
Mr. Fagbemi suggested the need for a national process where all Nigerians and other arms of government would jointly participate in the decision to renew the national anthem.
“Consequently, it is my considered view that the decision to change Nigeria’s national anthem, whether by replacing it with the old one or a new one, should be subjected to a wider process of citizen participation through zonal public hearings, resolutions of the Federal Executive Council, Council of State, National and State Assemblies, etc,” he said.
“The outcome of this process is bound to be a true reflection of the wishes of the generality or majority of Nigerians. I thank you all for granting me the audience to contribute my thoughts to this national cause,” the minister added.
Adoke AD also stated that the composition of the new national anthem should be a competition.
“I would like to observe that it is generally accepted that a national anthem is considered a major symbol of national identity and culture. It is meant to reflect the people’s hopes, values, and history. A national anthem is expected to enjoy universal acceptance and veneration amongst the citizens to attain the status of an official song that commands respect, patriotism and national consciousness.
“In some cases, the national anthem emerges from open national competition among interested citizens. In other instances, the proposed national anthem is subjected to a plebiscite or referendum before its eventual adoption or declaration. The essence of the foregoing is to secure the buy-in and confidence of the people and to ensure that the anthem meets their collective aspirations and suits their contemporary socio-political conditions,” he added.
The attorney general suggested that the change of the national anthem should not be made solely through presidential declaration but should involve the masses.
“Against the background of the foregoing, I am of the considered opinion that the revered issue of choice of a national item should not come into being only by legislative fiat or presidential proclamation alone.
“It is not out of place for Nigeria to be guided by the process of evolution of a national anthem in other jurisdictions. For most African countries, the national anthem symbolises the end of colonialism. Hence, former British colonies jettisoned “God Bless the Queen” to adopt their home-made national anthems, notably those written by their own citizens.
“You may all recall that following the attainment of independence in 1960, a new anthem was adopted for Nigeria. The anthem was written by one Miss Lilian Jean Williams and composed into a song by Miss Frances Berda, both British citizens.
“Subsequently, the government decided to change the anthem because it was written by a British citizen without input from Nigerians. It was also observed that the anthem clarified our differences in the wording.
“A committee was set up that called for entries nationally to promote national ownership. Close to 1,500 entries were received, and the committee picked entries from five finalists. These entries were subsequently put together, and a new anthem was developed. The poem was then given to Mr. Benedict Elide Odiase to compose into a song. Mr. Odiase was the Music Director for the Nigeria Police Force and the Midwest State Police Band. This led to the emergence of the current national anthem, first sung on October 1st, 1960,” he added.
Mr. Idris, represented by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, stated that some lines in the old national anthem do not have a complete meaning; hence, they should be changed.
“The issue of the national anthem is just a subset. What we should be looking at is the National Identity Act.
“The challenge we have today is that we do not have a valued national identity, of which the national anthem is one. It is not about singing in schools. It is about learning and imbibing it,” he added.
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