Facts about Nigeria
- Languages: English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba
- Capital: Abuja
- Population: 170,123,740
- Area: 356,667 square miles
- GDP per capita: $1,490 (estimate)
- Currency: Naira ₦ NGN
- Government: Federal presidential republic with a two chamber legislature
Colours of the Flag
The first sea green on the left represents Nigeria’s vast forests.
The white in the centre represents peace and the desire for an end to conflict.
The last sea green stripe represents the natural resources of Nigeria.
History of the Flag
The flag was designed in a competition that took place in 1959 and officially became the flag on October 1, 1960.
The design was by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi who was a student at the time. The original entry for the flag had a red sun on it, as well as streaming lines at the top although the judges removed these to simplify it. Michael was in England at the time at the Norwich Technical College, although he was from Ogun State in the town of Owu in Abeokuta. He’d found out about the contest from a newspaper.
There are different flags for the military and some civil institutions that contain the Nigerian flag in the top left corner. This is common practice in many countries and not unique to Nigeria.