The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s flag was created in 1959 and was hoisted for the first time on October 1, 1960. Three vertical bars of green, white, and green make up the flag. The white denotes peace and unity; the two green stripes stand for the abundance of nature.
Composition of the Nigerian flag
White and green are the two colours that make up the Nigerian flag. The left and right stripes are green, while the centre stripe is white. The flag has three vertical stripes of equal widths.
The Nigerian flag has a set measurement. A large Nigerian flag is 1.2 metres wide and 2.4 metres long, a medium-sized flag is 0.9 metres by 1.8 metres, and a small-sized flag is 0.6 metres by 1.2 metres.
History of the Nigerian flag
British Blue Ensigns and White Ensigns flew in different regions of Nigeria when the British assumed control of the country in the early 1800s. The British West African flag was introduced in 1870. The floor of the flag was the British Blue Ensign. A round badge was on the right, and the Union Jack was on the upper left side of the flag. An elephant, a palm tree, sand, and green mountains made up this rosette. ‘West African Settlement’ was written at the bottom of the badge.
The Niger Delta was called the Petroleum Rivers in 1884 after England claimed authority over it. Rivers of Oil, the region that was given the designation Protectorate had a flag similar to that of West Africa. The round badge, the British Blue Ensign, and the Union Jack all maintained their positions on the new flag. The badge on the flag’s badge was the only thing that had changed.
The wording of the West African Settlement was changed to a red “L” after England acquired control of the port of Lagos, and the British West African flag was adopted in the area. The Royal Niger Company adopted the British White Ensigns in 1887, decorating their flags with a black Y letter, a white circle with a crimson border, and the letters ARS, JUS, and PAX in each corner of the letter. The Royal Niger Company’s flag was changed into a British Blue Ensign with the same insignia in 1888. In 1893, the British Blue Ensign was kept the same, but the Petroleum Rivers Conservation Agency became the Niger Coast Conservation Agency.
Nigeria was split into northern and southern regions in 1900. The flags were southern Nigeria in the south, north Nigeria in the north, and a blue circle with British Blue Ensigns in the centre. In 1914, both parties migrated to British Colonial Nigeria. The flag was changed to a British Blue Ensign, complete with a crown, green pentagram, and red circle in the middle.
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The Nigerian flag is a modified version of Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi’s 1959 competition-winning design. Akinkunmi created the flag when he was a 23-year-old student. He saw an announcement in a newspaper that proposals were being solicited for the design of a new national flag for Nigeria while he was a student at Norwood Technical College in London, England. His triband design has a white vertical band in the middle and green vertical bands on either side. The flag’s white vertical centre featured a crimson sun that was radiating in the design.
He won the competition, but the judges removed the crimson sun from the national flag’s design, leaving only green and white triband. Culturally-varied nations like Nigeria typically choose simpler and less intricate flag designs to avoid unintentionally upsetting certain ethnic or religious groups. Since then, there has been no change to the flag. On October 1, 1960, the day Nigeria gained independence from the UK, it was first formally used.
Who designed the Nigerian flag?
23-year-old scholar Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi designed the Nigerian flag in 1959. Years later, he slipped the ranks and became like every other commoner who had to hustle and work extremely hard to make a livelihood because no checks and balances guaranteed his well-being for the honour of service to his country.
As a result, then-president Goodluck Jonathan decided to give him a lifetime salary comparable to that of a special assistant, which allowed the hero to finally receive what he was due. Since then, Akinkunmi has received recognition from numerous people and organisations.
He was also given a national honour as an Officer of the order of Federal Republic (OFR) on September 29, 2014, by then President Goodluck Jonathan. Even before receiving the National Award, the modest Mr. Akinwumi responded in an interview that he had everything he needed and was living a good life. He is presently a resident of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.
Meaning of the Nigerian flag
The Nigerian flag is made up of two colors: green and white. The Nigerian flag is divided vertically by the colours white and green. The white colour in the centre of the flag stands for peace and unity, while the green colour on the opposite side symbolises the agricultural areas and the country’s economic backbone.
Importance of the Nigerian flag
The flag represents power, a national emblem, and a tool of state sovereignty. The Nigerian people’s history, goals, and aspirations are represented through the flag.
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Rules guarding the Nigerian flag
The Nigerian government has established specific guidelines to be followed when raising this particular national flag, which is of great significance. Some of the rules include:
- According to them, a flag of national importance does not sleep; hence it should be ceremoniously raised in the morning during sunrise and lowered at dusk.
- On days of state funerals or significant memorial days, the Nigerian national flag should be flown partially or not at all.
- The Nigerian flag should always be treated with the utmost respect. If the flag is present in a space, no other emblem or flag should be displayed or flown higher.
- The flag shouldn’t be flown or used if it is torn; instead, it should be burned or destroyed.
Where to get the Nigerian flag
The Nigerian flag can be gotten at retail and online stores in the country and all over the world.
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