By Jennifer Ezeonyeasi, Honorary Reporter – Nigeria.

October 1st! The day breaks with the resilient sound of a trumpet; it’s the Nigerian national anthem proudly playing from my brother’s radio. A patriotic member of society, he never misses an Independence Day celebration and neither do many Nigerians. You can hear the voices over the radio discussing Nigeria’s progress over the past years and political debates as to the worthiness of this day. Numerous real-time programs aired across various radio and TV stations, asking random Nigerians to sing the national anthem or recite the national pledge. This is a typical morning of the Independence Day celebration in Nigeria.

Nigeria gained independence on October 1st, 1960 from her British colonial masters. From the ravaging effect of World War 1 & 2 in 1914 and 1939 respectively to the Aba Women Riot of 1929 which stemmed from the protest against the direct taxation by the British colonial masters, the long walk to freedom did not come easily.

Back in the days when I was a teenager, I couldn’t help but notice the numerous parades from various primary and secondary school students during the Independence Day celebration. Even though I had little knowledge of what Independence Day was about, I always remembered it as an activity-filled day when our teachers would make a fuss about winning the parade competition organized by the state government. As tedious as it was, it was still fun to look forward to.

As an adult these days who fully understands the symbolisms of the Independence Day celebration, donning my white shirt, blue jeans, and green cap, I and my brother head into the streets. My eyes take sight of the green and white balloons tied to main street posts and shrubs, to the Nigerian flag flagged high on every pole in the middle of the street, and to miniature flags triggered by the wind from cars of passers-by.

There are also random Nigerians twiddling mini flags from street hawkers. So many street hawkers, each one having over a hundred Nigerian flags. The day is colored with green, white, green.

The Nigerian entertainment industry is not left out. Various entertainment shows are held on October 1st in Nigeria to mark the Independence Day celebration. Some of these events include; standup comedy shows held by popular Nigerian comedians, beauty pageantries like the Miss Independence Nigeria Pageant held in 2017, and the Face of Independence Nigeria to be held this year at Sheraton hotel Abuja. We also have old or new historical films shown in the cinemas e.g.; ‘October 1st’ a multiple award-winning movie directed by Kunle Afolayan, premiered on October 1st in 2014. The film, which was set in Colonial Nigeria, narrates the story of Danladi Waziri (Sadiq Daba), a police officer from Northern Nigeria who is posted to a remote town of Akote in Western Nigeria to investigate the frequent female murder cases in the community, and have the mystery solved before the Nigerian flag is raised on October 1, Nigeria's Independence Day.

Parade for Independence Day Celebration Photo Source: The Presidency-Aso Rock Villa Facebook Page

As I ponder on the various ways this day is celebrated by Nigerians, my attention is drawn to my brother’s voice informing me of our destination; Eagle Square. Why? “There is a parade by the armed forces of the nation”, he says. The famous eagle square at the hub of the nation is where all government celebrations are held. The military spare no movement as they perform parades and displays of well-organized actions. During the Independence Day celebration event at the eagle square, the president gives his speech and releases white doves into the air as a signal of peace, unity, and freedom, which is a mirroring of the Nigerian national flag; Green white- green, designed by Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, the green stands for fertility, growth, and agriculture and the white; peace & unity.

After multiple performances, the event rounds up with a cutting of the national cake by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, a signal to start all the celebrations at Aso Rock, which is the home of the Nigerian President.

A public holiday, indeed, it is, but more so a civilian holiday. The evidence is the bystanders waving the green white green flag, surrounding the Eagle Square and passersby wearing a hint of green here, white there. As we leave the grounds, we are off to eat local delicacies, and we are not alone because, like every other Nigerian celebration, we round it up with food. Good food.