The Federal Government has advised Nigerians to obtain permission before using the national anthem.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, emphasized that seeking permission before using the national anthem was important to prevent misinterpretation.
He also announced that press conferences would be held across all states to launch a campaign aimed at raising awareness about the agency’s new policies.
However, he did not specify the circumstances in which permission would be required before the anthem could be sung or its lyrics used.
“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 partly read.
He also clarified that the Nigerian flag consists of green, white, and green, with the correct shade of green being Emerald 2.0.
Reflecting on the state of the agency when he took over, he highlighted several key achievements, including the creation of audio-visual studios, the launch of an enhanced NOA website featuring the CLHEEAN-NOA AI voice and chat assistant, and the recent approval of institutional policies by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), all with the full backing of President Bola Tinubu.
The Director General noted that previous administrations focused mainly on infrastructure while overlooking the importance of value orientation. This neglect, he explained, contributed to the decline of social intervention groups like the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and even the National Orientation Agency itself.
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He noted, however, that the current administration has acknowledged this oversight, with President Tinubu offering strong support to the agency.
This support, he added, is evident in the recent Federal Executive Council approvals, all centered around value orientation and the National Identity Project.
Discussing the newly launched Citizen Value Brigade (CVB), Mallam Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to guide their children in finding role models within the country, particularly during their formative years, rather than looking elsewhere for heroes.
He announced that the NOA has received approval to establish this social institution, which will instill Nigerian values in children, starting with 1,000 children from each state and the FCT.
The initiative aims to nurture homegrown heroes for future generations to look up to.
He also emphasized the need for creating local cartoon content to counter the influx of foreign values being presented to young Nigerians.
The Director General reiterated that both leaders and citizens share equal responsibility for the nation’s progress.
He explained that the Nigerian Promise—a key component of the National Values Charter—includes principles of equality and meritocracy that the nation guarantees to all its citizens, whether they are in leadership positions or part of the general populace.
He cautioned that Nigeria cannot advance without active participation and adherence to these values.
On the first anniversary of his administration, President Tinubu signed into law a bill to revert to Nigeria’s former national anthem, which had been replaced by a military government in 1978.
The re-adopted anthem, beginning with “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.
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