- The Nigerian Presidency denies any connection to a yacht flying the Nigerian flag in St. Tropez, clarifying it’s privately owned
- Otega Ogra emphasizes that the official Nigerian flag lacks a coat of arms, differing from the flag seen on the yacht
The Nigerian Presidency has denied any connection to a yacht seen flying the Nigerian flag in St. Tropez, a coastal town in France. The viral video of the yacht sparked widespread reactions on social media, prompting an official response from Otega Ogra, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Digital and New Media.
Addressing the matter on his X (formerly Twitter) page, Ogra clarified that the yacht is privately owned and has no affiliation with the Nigerian government or President Tinubu.
“There have been false claims circulating that a private individual’s yacht spotted in St. Tropez is a Nigerian government yacht. Here are some points to consider to discern the truth,” Ogra wrote.
He explained that the 42-meter Benetti yacht has been privately owned for five years since its construction. Ogra also noted that it is common for luxury yachts to fly the owner’s country flag and the country of registration.
Ogra emphasized that the official Nigerian flag is a simple Green-White-Green design without any coat of arms, which differs from the flag seen on the yacht. He pointed out that flags the Nigerian President or Armed Forces used do not have symbols in the center.
“The official Nigerian flag is Green-White-Green without a coat of arms in the middle. Flags representing the Nigerian President or the Armed Forces do not contain a coat of arms in the center. Placing anything in the center of the flag is a clear deviation,” he stressed.
Ogra concluded by urging the public to disregard any misinformation linking the yacht to the Nigerian government or President Bola Tinubu.