A few days ago, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, signed into law the reinstatement of the nation’s old national anthem.
This decision has sparked a lot of controversy both on and off social media. Many people believe that changing the national anthem back to the former one is the least of Nigeria’s problems and have questioned the president’s decision. In response, President Tinubu clarified three days ago that changing the national anthem is his utmost priority at the moment.
In an attempt to embed the old anthem in the minds of school pupils, some schools have started using it in place of “Arise, O Compatriots,” which students had become accustomed to. Many children have expressed their frustration with learning the new (old) anthem on various social media platforms. In a recent morning program on NewscentralTV monitored by DOPETV, a police officer was reported to have threatened to arrest a school proprietor and head teacher upon hearing their students still reciting the previous anthem.
Videos of middle-aged individuals, whom the younger generation expects to know the old anthem, have also been circulating. These videos show people in gatherings struggling to remember the words, often standing silently during the anthem.
Nigerians have lamented the mental stress caused by the anthem change, with many voicing their complaints on various media platforms. They argue that there are far more pressing issues in the country, and learning a new anthem should not be a priority.
