View source for Flag of Nigeria

{{Short description|National flag}}
{{About|the flag of Nigeria|the heraldic system that it belongs to|Nigerian heraldry}}
{{For|the old flag|Flag of Nigeria (1914–1960)}}
{{Use Nigerian English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox flag
| Name        = [[Nigeria|Federal Republic of Nigeria]] 
| Article     = 
| Image       = Flag of Nigeria.svg
| Use         = 111000
| Symbol      = {{FIAV|111000}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Equal}} {{FIAV|Vertical unknown}}
| Proportion  = 1:2
| Adoption    = {{start date and age|1960|10|1|df=65}}
| Design      = A vertical [[bicolour (flag)|bicolour]] [[triband (flag)|triband]] of green, white and green.
| Designer    = [[Taiwo Akinkunmi|Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi]]
| Image2      = Flag of Nigeria (state).svg
| Use2        = 010000
| Symbol2     = {{FIAV|010000}} {{FIAV|normal}}
| Proportion2 = 1:2
| Design2     = A vertical [[bicolour (flag)|bicolour]] [[triband (flag)|triband]] of a green, white and green; charged with the [[Coat of arms of Nigeria|coat of arms]] in the centre.
| Image3      = Civil Ensign of Nigeria.svg
| Use3        = 000100
| Symbol3     = {{FIAV|000100}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion3 = 1:2
| Design3     = A red field with the national flag, in the canton
| Image4      = Government Ensign of Nigeria.svg
| Use4        = 000010
| Symbol4     = {{FIAV|000010}} {{FIAV|normal}}
| Proportion4 = 1:2
| Design4     = A blue field with the national flag, in the canton
| Image5      = Naval Ensign of Nigeria.svg
| Use5        = 000001
| Symbol5     = {{FIAV|000001}} {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion5 = 1:2
| Design5     = A white field with the national flag in the canton, with the Naval seal in the fly.
| Image6      = Air Force Ensign of Nigeria.svg
| Use6        = [[Air force ensign]]
| Symbol6     = {{FIAV|normal}} {{FIAV|Mirror}}
| Proportion6 = 1:2
| Design6     = A sky-blue field with the national flag in the canton, with the air force roundel in the fly.
}}

[[File:NigerianEmbassyWashingtonDC01.jpg|thumb|Nigerian flag at the Nigerian embassy in [[Washington, DC]]|alt=The flag of Nigeria displayed in a Nigerian embassy in Washington, DC.]]

The '''flag of Nigeria''' was designed by [[Taiwo Akinkunmi]] and was officially adopted to represent [[Nigeria]] at midnight on 1 October 1960, the [[Independence Day (Nigeria)|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 (flag)|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.

== History and design ==
In preparation for the independence of [[Nigeria]] from the [[British Empire]], a national planning committee was established which set a competition to select a national flag in 1958.<ref name=Smith/> In 1959, out of almost 3,000 entries, [[Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi]] won the competition with an equal green-white-green with a 16-ray red quarter sun on the white stripe was chosen.<ref name=Smith/> After acceptance, the committee removed the red quarter sun.<ref name=Legit>{{cite web|title=What the green in the Nigerian flag represents?|date=18 December 2017|first=Adrianna|last=Simwa|url=https://www.legit.ng/1141039-what-green-nigerian-flag-represents.html|website=[[Legit.ng]]|access-date=5 November 2023}}</ref> The accepted flag now consists of a vertical [[Bicolour (flag)|bicolour]] green-white-green; the green stands for agriculture and the white stands for unity and peace.<ref name=Smith/><ref>{{cite book|title=Symbols (Routledge Revivals): Public and Private|isbn=9781136505577|year=1973|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|first=Raymond|last=Firth|author-link=Raymond Firth|page=351}}</ref> On 1 October 1960, the modern-day flag became the first official flag of an independent Nigeria and was raised for the first time in a ceremony by Lieutenant [[David Ejoor]].<ref name=Smith/><ref name=Legit/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamji.com/nowa/nowa52.htm|title=Barracks: The History Behind Those Names (Part 5b)|first=Nowa|last=Omoigui|access-date=5 November 2023|website=Gamji}}</ref>

{{gallery|mode=nolines|whitebg=no|height=100
|File:Flag of Nigeria (1914–1952).svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the [[Colonial Nigeria|Protectorate of Nigeria]] (1914–1960)|alt1=The flag created by Lord Lugard for the Nigerian Protectorate 
|Flag of Nigeria (original proposal).svg|Akinkunmi's original design|alt2=The original design proposed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi in 1959
|Flag of Nigeria.svg|Final design|alt3=The design accepted by the national committee
}}

== Historical and variant flags ==
{{See also|Flag of Nigeria (1914–1960)}}
In the late 17th century, present-day Nigeria was made up of diverse ethnic groups without national flags<ref name=Smith>{{cite encyclopaedia|last=Smith|first= Whitney|author-link=Whitney Smith|title=Flag of Nigeria|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]|date=13 November 2018|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/flag-of-Nigeria|publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.]]|access-date= 5 November 2023}}</ref>
After the [[wikt:amalgamation|amalgamation]] of the [[Southern Nigeria Protectorate]] and [[Northern Nigeria Protectorate]] in 1914, [[Lord Lugard]] designed a new flag for [[Colonial Nigeria|Nigerian Protectorate]], consisting of a blue field with the [[Union Jack]] in the canton, and a red disc on the fly side, within it a green hexagram surrounding the [[Tudor Crown|royal crown]] and "Nigeria" written in white text below it.<ref name=Smith/>

The standard of the [[President of Nigeria]] from 1960 had a red field with a large green shield and [[fimbriated]] white in the centre. It also features a black shield with a wavy-edged "Y"—representing the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers. There are three black scrolls containing the legend "President", "Federal Republic", "of Nigeria" placed on each scroll respectively in gold letters.<ref>{{cite book|title=Flags of the World|first1=E. M. C.|last1=Barraclough|first2=William|last2=Crampton|year=1981|isbn=978-0-7232-2797-7|page=153|publisher=[[Frederick Warne & Co.]]|location=London and New York}}</ref> This was replaced with the Nigerian coat of arms placed on the white stripe of the Nigerian flag; this also serves as the [[state flag]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Guide to Flags|first=William|last=Crampton|author-link=William Crampton|publisher=[[Gallery Books]]|location=New York|isbn=978-0862724665|pages=136|year=1990}}</ref>

== Colours ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2024}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
! style="background:#008751" | {{color|white|Green}}
! style="background:#FFFFFF" | {{color|black|White}}
|-
! style="text-align:right" | [[RGB color model|RGB]]
| 0/135/81 || 255/255/255
|-
! style="text-align:right" | [[Hexadecimal]]
| #008751|| #FFFFFF 
|}

== See also ==
*[[National symbols of Nigeria]]
*[[List of Nigerian flags]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|Flags of Nigeria}}
*{{FOTW|id=ng|title=Nigeria}}
{{Africa topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Africa]]}}
{{Nigeria topics}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Nigeria, Flag of}}
[[Category:National flags]]
[[Category:National symbols of Nigeria|Flag]]
[[Category:Flags adopted through competition]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1960]]
[[Category:Green and white flags]]
[[Category:Flags with rectangular symmetry]]