The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has announced that it would issue a standard version of the reintroduced national anthem.
In a recent statement, NOA spokesperson Paul Odenyi said Lanre Issa-Onilu, the agency’s Director-General, acted after many versions of the anthem appeared on social media.
Odenyi made it known that the agency’s community orientation and mobilization officers (COMOS) also reported citizens’ confusion with the correct lyrics, instrumental and audio rendition of the anthem.
The statement read: “Our COMOS, whom we ordered to learn the new national anthem, have come up with the feedback that many of our people are eager to learn and promote the new anthem but are confused about which of the ones they find online is the correct version.
“They have asked questions about which of the stanzas is the national prayer.”
Issa-Onilu also assured that a decision on if any of the stanzas will be adopted as national prayer will be taken after the necessary approval procedure.
He urged government agencies that want to play the anthem at their functions to revert to the agency for the official copy of the new anthem.”