The Secret History Behind Nigeria's Flag
Nigeria's flag was designed by a 23-year-old student, and he beat more than 3,000 other entries to do it.
In 1959, as the country prepared for independence, a nationwide competition was held to design its flag. The winner was Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, then a student in London. His design was simple: two green bands with a white band in the middle.
Akinkunmi's original version had a red sun with streaming rays in the center of the white band. The committee in charge removed it, and the flag we know today is the result.
The green stands for the country's forests and agriculture, and the white for peace and unity. The flag was raised for the first time at midnight on October 1, 1960, the day Nigeria became independent.
The date printed on every Nigeria design in our catalog, October 1, 1960, is that same day.
A student's sketch, a committee's edit, and a country's colors in three stripes.
Looking for a gift with a story? See our heritage gift guide, or read the story behind any other country's flag on our free Flag Stories page.