Administrative Subdivisions in Nigeria (original) (raw)

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• Background
• Primary Subdivisions in Nigeria
• Sub-national flags (1970–1990)
• Sub-national flags (1990– )

See also:

• Nigeria
• Nigeria – index of all pages

Background

Initially Nigeria consisted of only three regions (Western, Northern,Eastern) and Lagos Capital District. Following the Nigerian Civil War, or the Biafra crisis, an administrative reform was undertaken in Nigeria. The reform weakened the power of the separate regions and the power of the various ethnic groups (Haussa peoples in Northern region, Yoruba peoples in Western Region and Igbo peoples in Eastern Region). In 1964, the Mid Western Regionwas separated from the Western Region. Thus it gave a "remix" in the balance of power of the peoples of Yoruba and Igbo.

In 1967, in a move towards greater autonomy for minority ethnic groups, the military under leadership of Major General Yakubu Gowon divided the four regions into 12 states. However the Igbo rejected attempts at constitutional revisions and insisted on full autonomy for the east. On 29 May 1967 Lt. Col. Emeka Ojukwu, the military governor of the Eastern Region who emerged as the leader of increasing Igbo secessionist movement, declared the independence of the eastern region as the "Republic of Biafra." The ensuing Nigerian Civil War resulted in over 30'000 deaths before ending in the defeat of Biafra in 1970.

In 1976 there was a further reform of the administrative structure and the number of subdivisions was changed again. In subsequent reforms of the administrative divisions in Nigeria, the states did not have symbols.*

Jens Pattke, 8 July 2006

*[ed: see Nigeria: Flags of Subdivisions since 1970 for an update to this post]

Primary Subdivisions of Nigeria

(1) Lagos State formed by merging the then-federal district with portions of the Western Region
(2) Formed from parts of Plateau, North Central and North Western States

The coats of arms of the Nigerian regions was created by the Royal Warrant in 1958. The later coat of arms of the Nigerian states have more African motifs.

Jens Pattke, 23 December 2009

Sub-national flags (1970–1990)

In June 1970, the Nigerian central government passed a law forbidding the use of (sub-division) state symbols. Since 1970 only the Nigerian coat of arms and flag may be used as symbol of a state. In 1976, further reform of the administrative divisions the structure of Nigerian subdivisions took place. These reforms of the administrative divisions in Nigeria did not provide for symbols of the subdivisions.
Jens Pattke, 8 July 2006

Sub-national flags (1990– )

Article 4 of the _Flags And Coat Of Arms Act Chapter 148 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria_1990, says:

4. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, if in any public place in Nigeria the National Flag is to be exhibited or flown for any purpose, it shall not be exhibited with or be flown on the same staff or cross bar with the flag of any State, or the flag of any Commonwealth or foreign country; and the National Flag or any other flag when exhibited or flown shall not appear in a defaced or tattered condition; but the National Flag shall not be deemed to be defaced by reason only of the fact that it is embodied in or forms part of a State flag.

(2) Where the flag of any State is flown in the State to which it relates or elsewhere than in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, it shall not be necessary for the National Flag to be flown at the same time; but if the flag of a State and the National Flag are to be flown at the same time in a public place in that State or elsewhere in Nigeria, the National Flag of at least the same size as the State flag shall fly above that of any State flag.

Source: nigeria-law.org

Current state flags shown on FOTW:

• Abia
• Abuja
• Akwa Ibon
• Anambra
• Bayelsa
• Borno
• Cross River
• Delta
• Osun
• Oyo

States without current information (historical information only):

• Kano
• Lagos
• Rivers

States with no flag information currently available:

• Adamawa
• Bauchi
• Benue
• Ebonyi
• Edo
• Ekiti
• Enugu
• Federal Capital Territory
• Gombe
• Imo
• Jigawa
• Kaduna
• Katsina
• Kebbi
• Kogi
• Kwara
• Nassarawa
• Niger
• Ogun
• Ondo
• Plateau
• Sokoto
• Taraba
• Yobe
• Zamfara

Valentin Poposki, 20 December 2008