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Nigerian Naval Flags

Last modified: 2018-05-05 by bruce berry
Keywords: nigeria | navy | naval ensign | st george's cross | anchor | eagle | dolphin |
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image by Željko Heimer, 05 July 2002
Proportions: 1:2 [FIS Code] See also:

Naval Ensign

The Nigerian Naval ensign is white, without red cross throughout, with the Nigerian national flag in canton and naval badge in fly. The badge consists of a blue oval containing a cable white anchor topped with the red national bird all bordered with yellow containing black inscription NIGERIAN NAVY / ONWARD TOGETHER. (Source: Albums des Pavillons [pay00]
Željko Heimer, 05 July 2002

Jan Zrzavy mentions that in Flaggkarta (Lantmäteriet - Kartförlaget Swedish edition 1995,) [s9e95] it shows the naval ensign as white with the national flag in the canton and the Navy's emblem (a blue oval with anchor and eagle) in the fly.
Ole Andersen, 14 May 1998

William Crampton states in The World of Flags (London, 1990) [cra90] that the naval ensign is white with the national flag in the canton and the badge of the navy is placed in the fly.
Vincent Morley, 10 Feb 1998


Alternative or Previous Naval Ensign

image by Željko Heimer, 05 July 2000

I have since noticed that William Crampton in Observers Book of Flags (London, 1992) [cra91] which was published two years after his World of Flags, [cra90] says that : 'The naval ensign is like that of the Royal Navy (UK) but with the flag of Nigeria in the canton', which contradicts his earlier statement that there was no red cross and agrees with the illustrations above Of course, the southern half of Nigeria is mainly Christian, so perhaps the use of a "cross" on the naval flag is not such a big problem.
Vincent Morley, 13 Feb1998

In Whitney Smith's Flags Through the Ages and Across the World (1975) [smi75c] and in the 1985editon [smi85], the Nigerian naval ensign is illustrated with a red cross, which is illustrated as being about 11/70ths of the hoist. William Crampton in the Complete Guide to Flags (1989) [cra89] says (p 105) that the "Naval Ensign: White with the national flag in the canton and the Naval badge in the fly in red".

Finally, the "Flagchart" (1998) by Shipmate, authenticated by the Flag Research Institute, shows the naval ensign without the cross and with the badge in full colour. The Navy badge is shown here as an upright blue oval, charged with a red eagle as in the Arms' crest over a white fouled anchor, with a thick yellow border displaying the motto "NIGERIAN NAVY" (above) "ONWARD TOGETHER" (below) in black capital letters
Santiago Dotor, 13 April 2000


Naval Jack

image by Antonio Martins, 29 Dec 2008

A photo on thamesshipsociety.org.uk shows the Nigerian flag being used as a jack.
Jan Mertens, 29 Dec 2008

Note that the jack staff (and presumably also the ensign staff) was topped by the national crest - a red eagle. This follows the example of the British Royal Navy, whose jack staffs and ensign staffs have Royal Crown finials.
Miles Li, 30 Dec 2008


Naval Board

The flag of the Nigerian Naval Board is green, with a horizontal foul anchor in yellow (Source: Flags of the World by EMC Barraclough and William Crampton, 1981) [c2b81] page 153.
Santiago Dotor, 13 April 2000


Naval Aircraft Marking

image by Željko Heimer, 05 July 2002

The naval aircraft marking is a green-white-green roundel with black anchor overall. The national flag appears on the fin (Source: Albums des Pavillons [pay00].
Željko Heimer, 05 July 2002