Permission Must Be Sought Before Using the National Anthem” – FG Tells Nigerians

The Federal Government has issued a call to Nigerians, urging them to seek permission before using the national anthem. This announcement was made by Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), during a statement released on Wednesday. He emphasized that obtaining permission is crucial to prevent misinterpretation and misuse of the national symbol.

The NOA plans to hold press conferences across all states to launch a sensitization campaign regarding this new policy, although details on the specific contexts in which permission must be sought remain unclear.

“As custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is tasked with preventing all forms of misuse. The DG emphasised that permission must be sought from the Agency before using the National Anthem to avoid misrepresentation,” the statement read.

In addition to discussing the anthem, Issa-Onilu clarified that the national flag consists solely of green and white colors, with the specific shade of green designated as Emerald 2.0. He highlighted various achievements of the NOA, including the establishment of audio-visual studios and the launch of a newly optimized website featuring the CLHEEAN-NOA Artificial Intelligence voice and chat assistant. He credited these advancements to the full support of President Bola Tinubu and recent approvals from the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Issa-Onilu noted that previous administrations had focused primarily on infrastructure development while neglecting the essential role of value orientation, contributing to the decline of social intervention structures such as the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and the NOA itself. He expressed that the current administration acknowledges this oversight and is committed to revitalizing these initiatives.

As part of the new policies, the NOA introduced the Citizen Value Brigade (CVB), aimed at instilling Nigerian values in children. Issa-Onilu encouraged parents to guide their children towards local heroes during their formative years, stating that the program will start with 1,000 children per state and the Federal Capital Territory.

He also highlighted the necessity of producing local cartoon content to combat the influence of foreign values on Nigerian youth. Issa-Onilu reiterated that both leaders and citizens share a collective responsibility for national progress and emphasized the importance of adhering to the principles of Equality and Meritocracy outlined in the National Values Charter.

This announcement follows President Tinubu’s signing into law a bill to revert to Nigeria’s original national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” which was composed by Frances Berda and written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959. The anthem was previously replaced by a military government in 1978.