Before the current Nigerian flag, The colonial flag of Nigeria was adopted in 1914, following the amalgamation of Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria. It was first suggested by the first Governor-General of Nigeria; Sir Frederick Lugard as a symbol of the unification of Nigeria;The Star of David which featured in the flag had already been in use in Nigeria during the British rule and also featured on coins of the British West African pound.
Also, the flag of the Governor General was also not universally accepted. Some native Nigerians, including Fela Kuti, refused to salute the flag despite it being mandated in schools.
In 1959, prior to Nigerian Independence a competition to design a new flag was held. The current Nigerian Flag was designed in 1959 and officially hoisted on 1 October 1960.
The Nigerian Flag
Micheal Taiwo Akinkunmi is a retired Nigerian civil servant and famous for designing Nigeria’s national flag, and he is commonly called “Mr. Flag Man”.
During the time he made the design, he was a student in London.
According to him, the green colour represents the natural green resources of the country.
The flag is an adaptation of the winning entry from Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi in a competition held in 1959. Akinkunmi was a 23-year-old student at the time he designed the flag. He was studying at Norwich Technical College in London, England, when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper that submissions were being accepted for the design of a new national flag of Nigeria.
The flag has three vertical bands of green, white, green. The two green stripes represent Nigeria’s natural wealth, while the white band represents peace.
The shape and size of the Nigerian flag are determined by the following dimensions: A large flag should measure 1.2m in width and 2.4m in length. A medium flag should measure 0.9 meters by 1.8 meters. A small flag should measure 0.6 meters by 1.2 meters.
The original submission had a red radiating sun badge in the central white vertical band with a green vertical band on each side. After the badge was removed by the judges, the flag has remained unchanged.
It was first officially used on 1 October 1960, the day Nigeria was granted independence from the United Kingdom.
The Importance Of The Flag
The national flag is a symbol of pride, patriotism and self-reliance.
The Nigerian flag depicts the country’s political and social culture.
It reminds Nigerians of the sacrifices and struggle of the great leaders to build the nation.
It is a symbol of unity; Nigeria is a country with many tribes and different tongues, the flag unites all tribes as one.
The national flag reminds Nigerians of the courage and sacrifice of freedom fighters.The nigerian flag is an inspiration to live in peace and harmony with all living beings.
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