Nigerian Coat Of Arm – Meaning, Features, History

Nigerian Coat Of Arm

Nigerian Coat Of Arm: What you’re seeing is the Nigerian Coat of Arms, one more national symbol that carries profound meaning. It was created and adopted in May 1960. The Coat of Arms consists of images that express different meanings.

Below you’ll see the features of the Nigerian coat of arms and the explanation of each one. You will also Nigerian coat of arms meaning and so on.

The Nigerian Coat Of Arms Meaning

The Nigeria coat-of-arms is the country’s symbol of national unity, state power, and authority. It was created in line with the National Flag and Coat-of-Arms Ordinance number 48 of 1960.

The Nigeria coat-of-arms was adopted officially in 1975. Before this time, each of the country’s constituent political units had its own coat of arms.

Features Of The Nigerian Coat Of Arm

What are the features of the Nigerian coat of arms?

The Nigeria coat-of-arms has seven permanent features — each symbolizing a particular entity or virtue of the country:

  • A black shield
  • Two white wavy bands on the shield, form the letter “Y”
  • Two horses on either side of the shield
  • Some flowers at the base
  • An eagle standing on the shield
  • The wreath (with green and white bands) upon which the eagle stands
  • The nation’s motto on the band around the base of the shield
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The coat of arms of Nigeria consists of a black shield with a wavy white pall, symbolizing the meeting of the Niger and Benue Rivers at Lokoja. The black shield represents Nigeria’s fertile soil.

What Is The Features Of The Nigerian Coat Of Arm

Two horses on either side of the shield also known as the two supporting horses or chargers on each side represent dignity.

The eagle standing on the shield represents strength, while the green and white twists of the torse on the top of the shield represent the rich soil for agriculture.

The red flowers at the base are Costus spectabilis, Nigeria’s national flower. This flower was chosen for inclusion in the coat of arms as it is found all over Nigeria and also stands for the beauty of the nation.

The wreath (with green and white bands) upon which the eagles stand or the banderole around the base is Nigeria’s national motto since 1978.

The 8 heroes who fought for Nigerian independence made this motto realistic. The motto still remains “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”.

Who Designed Nigeria’s Coat Of Arms?

In 1959, new national symbols were created. A student, M. Т Akinkunmi won the competition for the best design of the coat of arms for an independent Nigeria.

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This article on the Nigerian Coat Of Arms will answer your questions on the features and what the symbols of the coat of arms mean. The comment section is also open for more questions from you.