Nigerians Must Obtain Permission Before Using National Anthem – NOA

The Federal Government through the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on all Nigerians to obtain official permission before using the National Anthem.

The Director-General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu gave this directive in a press statement issued on Wednesday, October 9.

According to the NOA DG, the directive is part of the agency’s efforts to safeguard national symbols and prevent misuse or misinterpretation.

Issa-Onilu emphasized that permission must be sought from the agency before using the National Anthem, though it did not specify the contexts in which such permission is required.

The statement reads, “As custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is tasked with preventing all forms of misuse.

“Permission must be sought to avoid misrepresentation.”

The announcement comes alongside a nationwide sensitization campaign aimed at educating the public about the agency’s new policies.

In establishing this directive, Press conferences will be held across all 36 states to clarify the guidelines.

Issa-Onilu also addressed the Nigerian flag’s official design, noting that it features the colours green, white, and green.

He noted that it’s designed with a specific shade of green designated as Emerald 2.0.

Issa-Onilu reflected on the state of the agency when he took office, highlighting achievements such as the establishment of audio-visual studios.

Others include the launch of an optimized NOA website featuring the CLHEEAN-NOA Artificial Intelligence voice and chat assistant, and recent approvals of institutionalisation policies by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), all of which were made possible with the backing of President Bola Tinubu.

Issa-Onilu emphasized that previous governments had focused on infrastructure while neglecting value orientation.

This however resulted in the decline of social intervention programs like the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, and the WAI Brigade.

To address these, the current administration, led by Tinubu, is committed to restoring these values through initiatives such as the National Identity Project and the newly introduced Citizen Value Brigade (CVB).

The Citizen Value Brigade (CVB) is aimed at instilling core Nigerian values in children, with the first phase targeting 1,000 children per state and in the FCT.

Issa-Onilu encouraged parents to help cultivate homegrown heroes for the future, rather than relying on foreign figures.

He also stressed the importance of creating local content to counter the influence of foreign media on Nigerian youth.

The Director General reiterated the shared responsibility between leaders and citizens for national progress.

Under the Nigerian Promise, part of the National Values Charter, Issa-Onilu outlined principles of Equality and Meritocracy that the country guarantees its citizens.

It would be recalled that Tinubu signed into law a bill to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem.

The anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” was dropped by the military government in 1978.

The anthem was originally written by Lillian Jean Williams in 1959 and composed by Frances Berda.

This is seen as a nostalgic return to the nation’s early days of independence.

The re-adoption of the anthem is part of the broader effort to revive Nigeria’s national identity and cultural heritage.