The Nigerian Army intends to retire 53 Troops’ Colors and present 28 new Colors as 81 Nigerian Army units participate in the Trooping and Presentation of Colors Parade, which has been held annually since 2007. Since 2007, new units have been developed and rendered operational to meet the demands of the current NA Order of Battle and the NA’s expanding operational commitments.
At a news conference held at the army’s headquarters in Abuja, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, director of army public relations, said that the 2023 Trooping and Presentation of Colors Parade is one of the Nigerian Army’s most illustrious traditions and customs. In preparation for the ceremony, which is expected to take place at Eagle Square on Thursday, April 27, 2023, the military is operating in full force at the seat of authority.
“Historically, the origin of colors dates back to the early days, when men fixed their family badge to a pole and held it aloft in the battle for the dual purposes of indicating their position and as a rallying point should the occasion arise,” the Army spokesperson said in an update on the events and programs planned for the historic occasion. By putting armorial symbols on their flags so that they could be seen plainly above the conflict, medieval chivalry perpetuated this tradition.
As armies began to use a system of regimentation in the early 16th century, the custom of giving each unit a specific color emerged. Today, it is still done. The company assigned to Nigeria moved from the Gold Coast (now Ghana) to Nigeria in 1863 and carried a flag that represented their colors, or guidon as the British call them. This is the first instance of colors being used in the NA.
However, the first Color Presentation in the NA occurred in 1922 when His Majesty, King John V, the then-reigning British monarch, gave Colors to each battalion of the Nigerian Regiments, a part of the British West African Frontier Forces, as a sign of appreciation.
The Nigerian Army still displays this inscription on its logo and on the hat badges of non-commissioned officers and officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel or lower. A color with the Arabic text “Victory is from God Alone” was also given to the Regiment as a whole.
To retire torn or worn-out Colors and present the National and Regimental Colours to newly established and operationalized NA units in accordance with the growing operational commitments of the NA as well as provisions of the current NA ORBAT, the Trooping and Presentation of Colors Parade 2023 will be held in light of this context and in accordance with the traditions, customs, and ethics of the NA.
The ones in front of Force Headquarters, the Milenium Park traffic light, and the Ministry of Finance traffic light are a few examples. Although we apologize for any problems the detour may cause to road users, commuters are respectfully encouraged to use alternate routes as will be guided by military police posted at the specified areas.
