Work toward freedom led to the formation of a national planning committee, which in 1958 named for a competition to choose a national flag. Thousands of designs were submitted, but the flag of equivalent green-white-green flat stripes, green stood for farming and white for unity and peace was chosen. The

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was designed in 1959 and first officially hoisted on 1 October 1960. The flag has three vertical bands of green, white, green. The two green stripes represent natural wealth, and the white represents peace and unity.

Design

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 Norwood Technical College in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper that submissions were being accepted for the design of a new national flag of Nigeria. He submitted a triband design consisting of a white vertical band in the center, with a green vertical band on each side. The design also contained a radiating red sun in the white vertical center of the flag. He won the contest, however the judges removed the red sun, leaving only a green and white triband design for the national flag. It is typical for culturally diverse countries such as Nigeria to choose simpler and less complex flag designs in order to avoid inadvertently offending particular ethnic or religious groups. The flag has remained unchanged ever since then. It was first officially used on 1 October 1960, the day Nigeria was granted independence from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. Nigeria has special ensigns for civil and naval vessels. Some of its states also have flags.Nigeria: One Nation, Many Flags
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Colour specifications

Other flags

State flags and ensigns

Presidental flags

Military flags

Historical flags

Subnational flags

References

External links

* *http://www.flagscorner.com/nigeria-flag/
Worldstatesmen.org – NigeriaCoats of arms and flags of Nigerian states2022 Nigerian National Sports Festival Opening Ceremony
State flags can be seen during the parade of states {{DEFAULTSORT:Nigeria, Flag of Flags adopted through competition Flags of Africa

Flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

Flags introduced in 1960

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...