- Eedris Abdulkareem discussed his 2001 protest song “Nigeria Jaga Jaga” in a recent video.
- The song is regarded as Nigeria’s unofficial second national anthem.
- It was released during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
In a recently shared video, Nigerian rapper and singer Eedris Abdulkareem elaborated on why his landmark 2001 protest track, Nigeria Jaga Jaga, will forever be considered Nigeria’s unofficial second national anthem. The song, which was released during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, boldly criticized the country’s leadership, corruption, and societal issues.
Eedris, who made a notable return to the spotlight with his viral song Tell Your Papa aimed at President Tinubu’s son, expressed that Nigeria Jaga Jaga will remain significant as long as the issues highlighted in the track persist. He reaffirmed his stance during a recent interview on Channels TV.
The 24-year-old song continues to hold weight among Nigerians, despite its initial ban. The lyrics, which challenge poor governance and societal ills, are still relevant today. “We need real change: steady power supply, security, and competent leadership. Until we see progress in these areas, this song will remain important. Sadly, 24 years later, the struggles mentioned in the song continue to reflect our reality,” Eedris explained.
Eedris also revisited the ban placed on Nigeria Jaga Jaga by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and discussed how his recent track Tell Your Papa was inspired by a video of Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Tinubu. In the video, Seyi referred to his father as the “greatest president,” which Eedris took issue with.
“He may be the greatest father to Seyi, but he’s the worst president for the people of Nigeria,” Eedris stated. Despite the controversy, he stood by the song’s message, emphasizing that it was not an insult but a factual response.
“If you listen carefully, I didn’t insult him in the song. I just spoke the truth. He made a public statement, and I responded publicly. Had he stayed silent, I would not have made the song,” Eedris concluded.
The video of Eedris Abdulkareem speaking about his viral song ‘Tell Your Papa’ below:
See some comments below:
@annomieoghene:”Eedris is so intelligent. No salt no Maggi. He was just speaking all our pains 🇳🇬. I cry when he was listing things we are facing in this country. True true the government need to apologize to all Nigerians and fix things right.”
@adebukola.adebisi”It’s easy for those who are greedy to think that change is easy. Change is not about comfort of today, but the success of tomorrow.”
@ola_pluse:”Idris Kareem na old taker so he’s looking for many way to reshurate is dead carrier.”
@timieniola1:”Seyi…tell your papa!! Thank you @abdulkareemeedris you are the replica of Fela Anikulapo Kuti. We love you.”
