Proportion 1:2 | Adopted on 1 October 1960 Designed by Taiwo Akinkunmi | |
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3d rendering of the flag of nigeria waving in the wind
The Flag of Nigeria was designed in 1959 and first officially hoisted on October 1, 1960. The flag is a horizontal bicolor of green and white. The two green stripes represent Nigeria's natural wealth, while the white band represents peace.
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Design
The national flag is an adaptation of the winning entry from Taiwo Akinkunmi in a competition held in 1959. The original submission had a red radiating sun badge in the center triptych of one white horizontal with a green horizontal on each side. After the badge was removed by the judges, the flag has remained unchanged. Like other countries, Nigeria has special ensigns for civil and naval vessels. Some of its states also have flags. The designer of the national flag was Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, a twenty-three-year-old student. He was studying at Norwich Technical College in England when he saw an advertisement in a newspaper that submissions were being accepted for the design of a new National flag. In 1959 Akinkunmi's design was chosen as the winner and, with adaptations, was first officially used on October 1, 1960, Nigeria's Independence Day.
