Use | National flag |
---|---|
Proportion | 1:2 |
Adopted | 1 October 1960 |
Design | A vertical bicolour triband of green, white and green. |
Designed by | Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi |
Use | State flag |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Design | A vertical bicolour triband of a green, white and green; charged with the coat of arms in the centre. |
Use | Civil ensign |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Design | A red field with the national flag, in the canton |
Use | State ensign |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Design | A blue field with the national flag, in the canton |
Use | Naval ensign |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Design | A white field with the national flag in the canton, with the Naval seal in the fly. |
Use | Air force ensign |
Proportion | 1:2 |
Design | A sky-blue field with the national flag in the canton, with the air force roundel in the fly. |
The flag of Nigeria was designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi and was officially adopted to represent Nigeria at midnight on 1 October 1960, the day the country gained independence. The flag was chosen as part of a nationwide open contest held by the government, with Akinkunmi's design being selected as the winner of a field of over three thousand entries. The flag is a vertical bicolour green-white-green design, with green representing agriculture and white representing peace and unity.
The flag was raised for the first time in a ceremony by Lieutenant David Ejoor of the Army Guard.