FFN harps on importance of national flag as symbol of unity, shared value

By Ayorinde Oluokun

The Flag Foundation of Nigeria, FFN, has called on Nigerians to embrace the green-white-green national flag with fresh respect as a symbol of shared unity, destiny and hope for a better country.

FFN said this in a statement issued by its Founder & Chief Vexillologist, Chris Agiri to mark the 16 September Nigeria National Flag Day.

In the statement tagged, “Honouring Our National Symbol, Strengthening Our National Unity,” FFN noted that the Nigeria National Flag Day is a day for every Nigerian to pause and consider what the green-white-green asks of every one.

“A flag is cloth until a people give it meaning. Ours carries the Nigerian state, our shared identity and our resolve to build a nation that is united, peaceful and prosperous.

“The green speaks of our land, its harvests and its natural wealth. The white speaks of peace and unity. Between them lies a plain truth. We differ in ethnicity, faith, language, culture and politics, yet we are one nation with one destiny,” FFN said.

While joining Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to mark 16 September Nigeria National Flag Day, FFN recalled that it is the first organization that marked the day 15 years ago.

It also recalled that it has been at the forefront of campaign aimed at drawing attention to the significance of the national flag.

“The Flag Foundation of Nigeria did not arrive at 16 September recently. We have stood on this ground for years.

“Long before the date drew the attention it enjoys today, the Foundation was calling on Nigerians to respect, honour and understand their flag.

“On 16 September 2011, the Foundation marked the day with clear purpose, using it to carry the meaning of the National Flag to the Nigerian public.

“That celebration was one step in a long walk. Our aim has always been a flag that citizens understand, not one that only appears at official functions. We want young Nigerians above all to see in it their common citizenship, their shared history and their duty to the future of this country.

“So let the record show: the Flag Foundation of Nigeria has championed 16 September as a day of reflection on the National Flag for more than a decade. In that time, we have pressed without pause for greater respect, understanding and proper use of the flag.

“We claim no ownership of the flag or of the patriotism it inspires. The flag belongs to every Nigerian. We place this history on record to honour all who have kept the meaning of our national symbol alive” FFN said while affirming its commitment to keep working to make the National Flag a living lesson in citizenship and national consciousness.

FFN noted that to inculcate respect for the National Flag from childhood, it instituted the Flag for Schools programme as part of its wider campaign message of the flag across the nation.

“We call on government institutions, schools, civil society, traditional institutions, the private sector, the media and every patriotic Nigerian to work with us, so that the National Flag receives the dignity it deserves,” said FFN.

The organization also harped on the importance of National Flag as a symbol capable of pulling the nation together in the face of economic strain, insecurity, political discord and social tension pulling at the seams of the nation
.
“The flag reminds us that before we are anything else, we are Nigerians.

“When the green-white-green rises, it does not ask whether you are from the North or the South, the East or the West. It does not separate Christian from Muslim, rich from poor, young from old, or one people from another.

“It speaks to what we share. It tells us that the troubles of Nigeria belong to all of us, and so does the work of building a better Nigeria.
“That work begins with the safety of our communities. We call on every Nigerian to rise to the duties of free citizenship and to stand with government against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, corruption and every form of insecurity,” said FFN.

It therefore reiterated its usual call on Nigerians to always respect the National Flag.

“On this Nigeria National Flag Day, 16 September 2026, the Flag Foundation of Nigeria calls on every Nigerian to look upon the flag with fresh respect, and to see in it our unity, our shared destiny and our hope for a better Nigeria.

“Let us raise the flag with pride. Let us honour it with dignity. Let us teach our children what it means.
“And above all, let the green-white-green remind us that Nigeria is our common home, and together we will build the nation we deserve,” Agiri concluded.