NOA instructs officials to learn the new anthem within 72 hours

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has instructed all public orientation and mobilization officers in 774 local governments to memorize the newly signed national anthem by Monday, June 3, 2024.

The Director General (DG), NOA, in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the directive is part of the agency’s efforts to ensure a smooth transition to the new national anthem, which is part of the ongoing National Identity Project aimed at promoting national cohesion, unity and sense of patriotism.

He said Community Orientation and Mobilization Officers (COMOs) are chief agency officers in local governments whose role is primarily to inform citizens at the local level about government policies, programs and activities.

He reiterated that NOA is also working closely with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to mobilize schools across the country to start using the current national anthem.

“We are excited to begin a new chapter in our national history. We believe that this new national anthem will instill a sense of pride and unity among Nigerians, which is why we are committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to it,” he said.

He also recalled that on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu assented to a bill restoring the use of the former national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” to Nigerians.

In a circular, DG NOA urged all local officials to take this directive seriously and make every effort to learn the new national anthem by the specified date, “just as you would be grassroots marshals responsible for implementing this new government policy.”

“NOA, as custodian of national symbols, has a mandate to promote and protect the integrity of all national icons, including the national anthem,” he said.