Nigerians Must Seek Approval To Use National Anthem – NOA

The federal government has urged Nigerians to obtain formal approval before using the national anthem to prevent potential misuse or misinterpretation.

Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), made this announcement in a statement issued on Wednesday.

He emphasised the importance of seeking permission from the agency before using the anthem or its lyrics to avoid misrepresentation.

“As custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is responsible for preventing all forms of misuse. Permission must be sought to avoid misinterpretation,” the statement read.

Issa-Onilu also announced that sensitization campaigns would soon be conducted across the 36 states to clarify the agency’s new policies and guidelines.

He reiterated that the official colours of the National Flag remain green, white, and green, with the specific shade of green.

Highlighting the transformation of the NOA, Issa-Onilu pointed to several achievements, including the establishment of audio-visual studios, the launch of an upgraded NOA website featuring an AI-powered assistant, and the recent approval of institutional policies by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

He expressed concern that past administrations had focused too heavily on infrastructure development while neglecting value orientation, which contributed to the decline of social intervention programs like the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and the National Orientation Agency itself.

The President recently signed into law a bill re-adopting Nigeria’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” on the first anniversary of his administration.

This anthem, originally written by Lillian Jean Williams and composed by Frances Berda in 1959, was replaced by a military government in 1978 but has now been restored.