A Bill has passed a second reading in the Senate and the House of Representatives, seeking to revert to Nigeria’s old national anthem.

The old anthem, jettisoned by the military government under Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978, had the opening statement, “Nigeria, we hail thee!”

It was the anthem Nigeria used as an independent nation in 1960 and remained in use till it was changed in 1978.

The old national anthem read:

First Stanza

Nigeria we hail thee,
Our own dear native land,
Though tribe and tongue may differ,
In brotherhood we stand,
Nigerians all, and proud to serve
Our sovereign Motherland.

Second Stanza

Our flag shall be a symbol
That truth and justice reign,
In peace or battle honour’d,
And this we count as gain,
To hand on to our children
A banner without stain.

Third Stanza

O God of all creation,
Grant this our one request,
Help us to build a nation
Where no man is oppressed,
And so with peace and plenty
Nigeria shall be blessed.