ATFA #0074

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. 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. 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. After acceptance, the committee removed the red quarter sun. The accepted flag now consists of a vertical bicolour green-white-green; the green stands for agriculture and the white stands for unity and peace. 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.