- The NOA has directed that only the first stanza of the National Anthem be sung at events, while the third stanza should serve as a prayer.
- All three stanzas are reserved for major national ceremonies, and the National Pledge should conclude every event.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has released an official notice outlining the proper protocol for singing and reciting Nigeria’s National Anthem and Pledge at public events.
According to the directive shared via the agency’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account, only the first stanza of the National Anthem should be sung or recited during official functions. The third stanza, it added, should serve as the National Prayer at the beginning of such events.
The NOA further stated that all three stanzas of the anthem are to be rendered only on special national occasions such as Independence Day, Presidential Inaugurations, Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Democracy Day (June 12), and the inauguration of the National Assembly.
In addition, the agency emphasized that the National Pledge should be recited at the end of every event, urging Nigerians to uphold the dignity and sanctity of the country’s national symbols.
The statement concluded with the agency’s motto:
“Building a People of Positive Values and National Pride.”
In other news,.,,, The family of the late nationalist, Herbert Macaulay, has rejected his inclusion in the federal government’s list of individuals granted a presidential pardon.
While commending President Bola Tinubu for recognising Macaulay’s role in Nigeria’s history, the family described it as “wrong and demeaning” to place his name alongside those of individuals with questionable character.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, elder statesman Chief Olabode George, who represented the family, said:
“If Papa is to be honoured, he must be honoured independently.”
“Herbert Macaulay was not a criminal; he was a patriot, a visionary, and grandson of the first African Anglican Bishop. He deserves isolation for national honour, not inclusion in a list of convicts,” he added.
George, in his speech titled “Herbert Macaulay: The Father of Nigerian Nationalism,” recounted Macaulay’s activism through the Lagos Daily News, his defence of Oba Eshugbayi Eleko, and the founding of Nigeria’s first political party, the NNDP, in 1923.
He reminded Nigerians that:
“Herbert Macaulay died in 1946 while on a campaign for national unity. He was a patriot to his final breath — not a felon to be pardoned.”
George urged today’s leaders to emulate Macaulay’s integrity and service-oriented politics, saying:
“If we truly seek to honour Herbert Macaulay today, we must not do so with mere words or statues. We must embody his principles in our politics integrity, accountability, and service to the people.”
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