Nigeria: One Country, Two Flags?

To most Nigerians, it is
known simply as the Green-White-Green flag. That is, going strictly by the colours of this national symbol introduced since Nigeria’s Independence in 1960. Ordinarily, nothing appears to have changed with this hallowed object ever since. But to the very canny, something has surely added. Somebody has discreetly implanted the nation’s Coat of Arms right at the centre of this sovereign insignia.
Could be the unforced error of an apprentice Corel Drawer. Or, better still, the fallout of late Dora Akunyili’s rebranding effort while serving as Information and National Orientation Minister a few years back. Sorry, the latter is unlikely because the Proudly Nigerian logo which is a product of that dispensation does not suggest any such makeover at the time.
In any case, there are already indications that Nigerians are increasingly falling in love with the ‘redesigned’ flag. What with the way it adorns most vehicle dashboards as a choice pin-up. Again, the new national flag now easily dominates its ‘precursor’ at venues of Nigeria’s international sports meets, including the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Who says a country’s national symbols cannot be touched up to reflect latter-day experiences or even enhance their physical attributes and underlying messages? After all, the Nigerian National Anthem took a rewrite not too long after its maiden rendition. And even the Coat of Arms whose original motto, Unity and Faith, was later expanded to include Peace and Progress. Yet, the citizens appear not to have batted an eyelid.
As far as national flags go, Nigeria’s official flapper is one rare example of a stand-alone symbol. Its simple white and lush green colours hardly conflict with any other. This is unlike the identical colours of some notable European national flags which hardly distinguish these nationalities save in the eyes of their respective citizens. In short, try identifying the French flag from a collection of the French, Russian and Dutch flags.
In the United States, for instance, each of the 50 states is known to have its own distinct flag, flower, bird, song and nickname, among other emblems; but even with all these, they still find a rallying point in their national symbols. Any attempt to alter the colours or the stripes and stars that constitute the American flag would normally require a laid down methodical procedure and adequate publicity.
Here in Nigeria, states have also made a success of designing coats of arms and coining fantastic sobriquets for themselves; the latter being more visible on vehicle number plates than on any serious state document. It is, however, disheartening to discover that only Lagos and perhaps one or two others, among the initial 12 states, still identify with their original logos. The rest of these first-comer states have since traded their ingenious symbols of authority for badges that are hardly unique, especially after being dismembered in the course of subsequent state creation exercises. Among the new ones, Bayelsa stands out as having crafted a fashionable coat of arms and also proudly showcasing it.
Over the years, abuse of the Nigerian flag had ranged from non-replacement of faded and torn flags to the use of varied shades of green, including lemon and khaki colours. The banks and other financial institutions are reported to be mostly guilty of these.
The latest of such abuses is this seemingly surreptitious wedlock of the flag and Coat of Arms. It is made the more worrisome as this questionable flag is seen standing right behind Mr. President in his widely distributed official portrait. The state governors, National Assembly leaders and ministers are also co-travellers in this, prompting one to wonder when the nation adopted this new flag.
In fact, the way things are, and judging from the speed of its circulation, it is not unlikely that Nigerians would soon be awakened by the rude discovery that their symbol of national identity in London or Moscow differs from the one fluttering at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Talk of one country, two flags!
The Nigerian flag and Coat of Arms each has its own story. Joining the two symbols in an unholy matrimony would only make their combined messages a little verbose, if not mainly repetitive.
Outlawing the hoisting or use of the new flag in whatever form will force the country back to the status quo; in which case the aforelisted political office holders would need to reappear before their photographers; but this time, in a politically more correct ambience.
If on the other hand there is a popular wish to officially adopt the new flag then it follows that the country’s lawmakers will need to formally amend the relevant ordinances to give it legal impetus and total acceptance. No doubt, this choice will be very costly as a lot of items bearing the old flag would have to be redesigned. It also means that a fresh process would be set in motion to design a new coat of arms for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Ibelema Jumbo