Manitoba diaspora news — On Thursday, October 1, the Nigerian flag flew above Winnipeg City Hall as Winnipeg marked Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and honoured the Nigerians helping build this city every single day.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | October 4, 2026
Sources: Cruise TV News, The Sun Nigeria | Last updated: October 4, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The Nigerian flag was raised at Winnipeg City Hall on October 1 to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
- At Winnipeg City Hall on Thursday, Mayor Scott Gillingham joined Nigerian Association of Manitoba (NAMI) president Vera Obehi Keyede, Manitoba Deputy Premier and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, the Oloro of Oro and Paramount Ruler of Oro Kingdom, Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, community leaders and diaspora members.
- Gillingham told the crowd: “Your contributions can be seen across our city in business and entrepreneurship, education, health care, public service, the arts, faith communities, and so many other areas.”
- NAMI ran the ceremony under the theme “Rooted in Heritage and Rising with Purpose,” with Nigerian traditional attire, cultural displays, official greetings and musical performances before the flag-raising.
- Keyede reaffirmed the association’s commitment to unity, cultural preservation and youth mentorship across Manitoba.
What Happened at Winnipeg City Hall
Thursday’s ceremony at Winnipeg City Hall was not a photo op for the cameras. The Nigerian flag went up at City Hall to mark 66 years since Nigeria’s independence, and the event doubled as a recognition of what the Nigerian community has become to this city: business owners, nurses, teachers, artists, civil servants and faith leaders.
NAMI organized the program under the theme “Rooted in Heritage and Rising with Purpose.” Guests arrived in Nigerian traditional attire, took in cultural displays, heard official greetings and watched musical performances before the flag-raising itself at Winnipeg City Hall. Then the green-white-green went up over the same building where the city makes its hardest decisions.
Who Stood Together
The attendance list tells you how much weight this carried. Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham was there. So was Manitoba Deputy Premier and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, herself a symbol of the community’s rise in this province’s politics. NAMI president Vera Obehi Keyede led the community’s delegation, and the Oloro of Oro and Paramount Ruler of Oro Kingdom, Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, attended with community leaders and diaspora members.
That is not a ceremonial lineup you throw together casually. It says the city, the province and the Nigerian diaspora treated this flag-raising as a milestone, not a formality.
Gillingham’s Message to the Community
The mayor’s words were direct. “Your contributions can be seen across our city in business and entrepreneurship, education, health care, public service, the arts, faith communities, and so many other areas,” Gillingham said at Winnipeg City Hall.
He continued: “Today, the Nigerian flag will fly here at City Hall as a symbol of independence and national pride, but also as a recognition of the Nigerian community’s place in the story of Winnipeg.” That second line matters. It frames Nigerians not as newcomers to be welcomed, but as characters already written into Winnipeg’s story.
Why This Matters
Keyede used the moment to recommit NAMI to unity, cultural preservation and youth mentorship across Manitoba. That pledge points at the real work behind the pageantry: keeping heritage alive while a new generation grows up Canadian.
Winnipeg has been quietly building one of the most dynamic Nigerian diaspora communities in Canada, and Thursday’s ceremony at Winnipeg City Hall put the city’s stamp on it. The flag came down at the end of the day, but the recognition it carried was meant to last longer.
Maplestime will provide updates from the Nigerian community in Winnipeg as announcements are made.
Have a tip about the Nigerian community in Winnipeg? Email [email protected]
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
Do you think Winnipeg City Hall is doing enough to honour the communities building this city — or are flag-raisings just the easy part? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian who knows a Nigerian neighbour building a life in Winnipeg.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
