It is important for every citizen to learn information about their country. We all know how the Nigeria Coat of Arms looks like. But do we know everything that there is to it? Do we know what is the meaning of Nigeria Coat of Arms? Let’s learn more about the Nigeria Coat of Arms.
The meaning of Nigeria Coat of Arms
Coat of Arms is one of the most prominent symbols of any country. It is not just a picture that is associated with the country and is used in official documents. The Coat of Arms has a deep meaning. It is the symbol of national unity, authority and state power.
Each country has its own unique Coat of Arms with special symbols that have various meanings, like virtues, for example:
– bravery;
– dignity;
– freedom;
– unity;
– peace.
The conventional elements that can be found on the Coat of Arms Nigeria are:
– Motto;
– Compartment;
– Two supporters;
– Shield;
– Crest.
Each part of the Nigeria Coat of Arms symbolizes a virtue or an entity of Nigeria. Everything matters – the colors, the shapes, the plants and the animals. Let’s cover each part:
1. The Motto of the Coat of Arms
As seen on the Nigeria Coat of Arms, the motto is written on a gold ribbon. The ribbon can be found at the bottom of the Coat of Arms. We know that each color that is used in the Coat of Arms has a meaning. The gold color symbolizes respect, understanding, and generosity.
2. The Base of the Coat of Arms
The base of the Nigeria Coat of Arms is a green field with yellow flowers. They are Costus spectabilis, the national flower of Nigeria that can be found all over the country. Note that there are some variations of pictures of the Nigeria Coat of Arms where Costus spectabilis is incorrectly shown as red.
The flowers represent the beauty of the nation and the natural wealth.
3. The two supporters of the Coat of Arms
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The supporters of Coat of Arms can vary. They can be warriors, lions, horses, bulls and other creatures. Usually they are they can be:
– Animals that can be found everywhere in the country;
– Creatures that are holy and important;
– Warriors that had a great impact on the history of the country;
– Creatures that have an important symbolic meaning for the country.
Some Coats of Arms don’t have supporters at all. In our case, they are two white horses or chargers. They represent dignity and pride of Nigeria.
4. The shield of the Coat of Arms
Arguably the most important part of the Coat of Arms. The shields vary in color and the bands or symbols on them. The shield of the Nigerian Coat of Arms is black, which symbolizes the fertile soil of Nigeria and the agricultural heritage. We all know that Nigeria is known for producing cocoa, rice, cassava, yams, sorghum, corn, millet, and peanuts.
It is also known that the black color on the shield represents constancy.
The other important part of the shield on Nigerian Coat of Arms is the letter Y that is formed out of white wavy bands. They symbolize the main rivers of Nigeria – Benue, and Niger. The last one is the third largest river in Africa. But why the letter “Y,” why not two stripes? Because the rivers meet at the capital of Kogi state, Lokoja.
5. The Crest of the Coat of Arms
The last but not least. The crest is an eagle that is standing on green and white bands. The eagle, which is displayed Gules, represents the pride and strength of Nigeria. The white and green bands are the symbol of Nigerian rich agriculture. We are quite proud of our soil, aren’t we?
Who designed the Nigerian Coat of Arms?
We can safely say that this still remains a mystery. There were a lot of rumors about the designer of Nigeria Coat of Arms. Some claim that the designer of the Coat of Arms is the same person who designed the National flag.
It is known that the National flag was designed by the student that won a nationwide competition in 1959. His name was M.T.Akinkunmi. Perhaps he really was the designer of the Nigeria Coat of Arms, but unfortunately, there are no documents that will justify this.
Interesting facts about Nigeria Coat of Arms
1. The Nigeria Coat of Arms was officially adopted on 20 May 1960. An important date in the life of every Nigerian!
2. Before the approval of the one and only Nigeria Coat of Arms, each state had its Coat of Arms. There were 12 of them, can you imagine that? And each Coat of Arms had unique symbols on it!
3. The Nigeria Coat of Arms that we know today is also the symbol of the Unity of Nigerian nation.
4. The Coat of Arms can be found everywhere in Nigeria, from stamps to the seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. You can play a game of “Find them all” and look for the Nigerian Coat of Arms in your city.
5. The motto of Nigeria Coat of Arms is “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress.” However, in the earlier versions of the Coat of Arms that were used from 1960 to 1979, the motto was “Unity and Faith.”
6. Alexander Amosu released Rolex Sky Dweller watches for Nigeria’s 54 Independence Day. They featured the Nigerian Coat of Arms and they cost around 8,300,000 Naira. Quite expensive for a watch, right? But the Nigerian Coat of Arms looks great on them. And they are so detailed!
7. There was another version of the motto – “Unity, Peace, Freedom.” It is known that faith had been quite important for the Nigerian nation so the motto was changed to what it is now.
8. The Nigeria Coat of Arms that is on the seal of the President is quite often used on the documents from the president to Parliament. It is also seen on presidential vehicles and lecterns.
9. The Nigeria Coat of Arms has been used on the seal of the President since 1999. We wonder how many documents this seal has approved?
10. In some cultures, the white color, that was used for horses, represents innocence, wisdom, life, and sincerity. However, there are people for whom white color represents death. Quite opposite things, right?
11. Unfortunately, you won’t get the perfect top ten. We just have so tell you this last fact! The last but not least – according to the Flags and Coat of Arms Act 1990, you cannot use or display the Nigerian Coat of Arms unless you have a license granted by the Government.
If you were looking for “Nigerian coat of arms meaning” now you know the answer! Isn’t it interesting to learn more about national symbols of your country? As you can see, there a lot of interesting information about the Nigeria Coat of Arms. We hope that you’ve discovered something new for yourself!
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