The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to obtain permission before using the national anthem. This directive was issued by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement released on Wednesday, October 8.
According to Issa-Onilu, seeking permission is essential to prevent any misinterpretation of the national anthem. However, he did not clarify the specific instances or contexts in which such permission would be required for singing or using the anthem's lyrics.
"As the custodians of Nigeria’s national symbols, the NOA is responsible for preventing misuse. To avoid any misrepresentation, permission must be sought from the Agency before using the national anthem," the statement read.
Additionally, the DG highlighted that the Nigerian flag is green, white, and green, specifying that the correct shade of green is Emerald 2.0.
Issa-Onilu also pointed out that previous administrations mainly focused on infrastructure development, overlooking the critical role of value orientation. This neglect, he explained, led to the decline of social intervention structures such as the Boys’ Scouts, Girls’ Brigade, WAI Brigade, and even the National Orientation Agency itself.
He acknowledged that the current administration, led by President Bola Tinubu, has recognized this oversight and extended support to the NOA. He also emphasized the need to produce local cartoon content to help counter the influence of foreign values being passed on to Nigerian youth.
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