The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to seek permission before using the national anthem.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, explained that this measure is necessary to prevent potential misinterpretation of the anthem’s use.
He also announced that press conferences would be held across all states to promote the agency’s new policies as part of a sensitization campaign.
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However, the statement did not specify the exact contexts in which permission should be sought before singing or using the lyrics of the anthem.
“As custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is tasked with preventing all forms of misuse. Permission must be sought from the Agency before using the National Anthem to avoid misrepresentation,” the statement read.
Additionally, Issa-Onilu clarified that the official colors of the Nigerian flag are green, white, and green, with the specific shade of green being Emerald 2.0.
He highlighted various achievements under his leadership, such as establishing audio-visual studios, launching an optimized NOA website with an AI voice and chat assistant, and gaining Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for new institutional policies, all supported by President Bola Tinubu.
Issa-Onilu emphasized that previous administrations focused primarily on infrastructure while neglecting critical value orientation programs, which led to the decline of initiatives like the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and the NOA itself.
He praised the current administration for recognizing this gap, citing President Tinubu’s backing for value-oriented projects and the National Identity Project.
Speaking about the newly introduced Citizen Value Brigade (CVB), the NOA chief urged Nigerians to encourage their children to look for role models within the country, rather than seeking heroes abroad.
He announced that the NOA had received approval to establish the CVB, which will promote Nigerian values among children, with an initial target of 1,000 participants per state and the FCT. The initiative aims to cultivate homegrown heroes for future generations.
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Issa-Onilu also highlighted the importance of producing local cartoon content to counter the influence of foreign values on Nigerian children.
He reiterated that both leaders and citizens have an equal role to play in the nation’s progress.
Under the Nigerian Promise—a core element of the National Values Charter—the principles of Equality and Meritocracy are guaranteed to all citizens, whether they are leaders or ordinary people.
He concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s progress depends on collective adherence to these values.
In a significant move, President Tinubu recently signed a bill into law, reinstating Nigeria’s old national anthem, which had been replaced by a military government in 1978.
The restored anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.
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