FG Urges Nigerians to Seek Permission Before Using National Anthem

The Federal Government has advised Nigerians to seek permission before using the national anthem.

In a statement on Wednesday, October 8, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), emphasized that obtaining permission is important to prevent misinterpretation.

However, he did not specify the context in which permission should be requested for singing the anthem or using its lyrics.

“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 identified as Emerald 2.0.

Issa-Onilu noted that previous administrations focused primarily on infrastructure development, neglecting the crucial aspect of value orientation.

This oversight contributed to the decline of social intervention programs such as the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and even the National Orientation Agency itself.

However, he stated that the current administration recognizes this issue, with President Tinubu extending support to the agency.

He noted that this support is evident in the recent approvals by the Federal Executive Council, all focusing on value orientation and the National Identity Project.

Discussing the newly introduced Citizen Value Brigade (CVB), Mallam Issa-Onilu encouraged Nigerians not to let their children seek heroes elsewhere, especially during their formative years.

He stated that the NOA has received approval to establish this social initiative, which will aim to instill Nigerian values in children, starting with 1,000 children per state and the FCT.

The initiative is designed to cultivate homegrown heroes for future generations to emulate. Issa-Onilu also emphasized the need for creating local cartoon content to counter the influx of foreign values affecting young Nigerians.

The Director General reiterated that both leaders and citizens share equal responsibility for national progress.

He explained that the Nigerian Promise—a key component of the National Values Charter—includes principles of Equality and Meritocracy, which the nation guarantees to all citizens, regardless of their positions.

He warned that Nigeria cannot advance without active participation and adherence to these values.

On the first anniversary of his administration, President Tinubu signed into law the bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem, which was removed by a military government in 1978.

The re-adopted anthem, which begins with “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.