VIDEO: Rights activist Ozekhome welcomes return to old National Anthem, calls for change of name Nigeria, flag

President Bola Tinubu signed the National Anthem Bill 2024 into law on Wednesday, reinstating Nigeria’s old national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.”

The decision was approved by rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome, who described the change as a welcome and long-overdue development.

Ozekhome, speaking at a press conference, expressed his delight over the return to the old anthem. He highlighted that he had moved a motion for this change during the 2014 National Conference, making the recent decision a fulfilment of his decade-long advocacy.

“Bringing the old National Anthem back is well overdue. It has better lyrics in content and context like the Senate President said. It is better than the other one,” Ozekhome remarked.

He also suggested that other national symbols, such as the name Nigeria and the flag, should be reconsidered for change.

The return to the old anthem has sparked discussions about national identity and heritage, with many echoing Ozekhome’s sentiments regarding the anthem’s superior lyrical quality and historical significance.