According to the report from the Tribune, a Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi criticized the use of the term "tribe" in Nigeria's national anthem, arguing that it perpetuates a derogatory perspective imposed by colonial powers.
He highlighted the inconsistency in referring to ethnic groups in Nigeria as tribes while reserving the term "nation" for similar groups in the United Kingdom, such as England, Wales, and Scotland.
He asserted that major Nigerian ethnic groups like Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa, as well as smaller groups like Ijaw, Kalabari, and Efik, are not tribes but rather distinct and highly civilized nations.
He said, "The ‘Nigeria we hail thee’ talks about tribe. Are there tribes in Nigeria? Tribe is a derogatory word used by that English woman to describe what, in her own country, will be called ‘nation’. Is England a tribe? Is Wales a tribe? Is Scotland a tribe? Is Yoruba a tribe? Is Igbo a tribe? Is Hausa a tribe? Ijaw, Kalabari, Efik, are they tribes? They are not tribes in Nigeria. So why must we take an anthem that begins to talk about our ethnic nations, that are so civilized that way? In 1483, when the whites came to Africa, they said that the Yoruba were the most urbanized. They were shocked that we had things like Ife bronze. They were shocked that Benin had their bronze; they were shocked when they found in the Nigerian Middle belt the Nok culture."