President Bola Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) were seen reciting Nigeria’s former national anthem, “Arise, O Compatriots,” during a cabinet meeting on Monday, despite the country’s official return to “Nigeria, We Hail Thee” in 2024.
The development emerged in a video from the FEC meeting which has been widely circulated on social media.
In the footage, President Tinubu and members of his cabinet were heard reciting Arise, O Compatriots, the anthem that ceased to be Nigeria’s official national anthem after the President signed the National Anthem Act, 2024, into law on 29 May 2024.
The legislation restored Nigeria, We Hail Thee as the country’s official national anthem, replacing Arise, O Compatriots, which had been in use since 1978.
Nigeria, We Hail Thee was originally adopted at Nigeria’s independence in 1960 before it was replaced 18 years later.
The video has sparked reactions on social media, with many questioning why the former anthem was recited during an official government meeting despite the legal change.
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency had not issued any official explanation regarding the incident or whether the recitation was an error.
