Nigeria's flag was designed by a student. Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, then 23, entered the national competition held in 1959 as independence approached, and his entry won. It was raised on October 1, 1960, the day Nigeria became independent of Britain, and it has not changed since.
Akinkunmi's original drawing had a red sun with streaming rays at the top of the white stripe. The sun was dropped from the final version, leaving three plain bands.
The design
Three vertical bands of equal size, green on both edges and white in the middle. Green is Nigeria's vegetation and its agriculture, the economic base the design chose to lead with. White is peace and unity across a country with a great many distinct cultures. The simplicity was part of the appeal: after British West Africa and its colonial insignia, a flag with nothing on it but two colors made a point.
Usage
The flag flies at government buildings, on national holidays, and wherever Nigeria is represented abroad, with formal honors at flag-raising ceremonies. The naval ensign adds a naval emblem, and the presidential standard carries extra markings. Nigerians at home and in the diaspora use it as shorthand for the country at cultural events and international sports competitions.
Green and white elsewhere
Green and white is not a rare combination. Italy pairs them with red, and Pakistan sets a crescent and star on a green and white field. Nigeria's version is unusual mainly for how far it moved from the heavier insignia of the colonial period.