Nigerian poet and United Nations Global Advocate for Peace, Maryam Bukar Hassan, has made history as the first Nigerian to carry the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The Olympic flag, a white banner with five interlocking rings, is usually carried by people selected to reflect the Games’ message of unity and peace, not competing athletes.

The ceremony held on February 6, 2026, at San Siro Stadium in Milan, featured a group the organisers described as the “Flag Bearers of Peace.” Those named alongside Hassan included marathon great Eliud Kipchoge, Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, and Tongan humanitarian Pita Taufatofua, among others.

Reflecting on the moment on Instagram, Hassan said, “Carrying that flag ultimately reminded me that peace is not an event; it is a practice. A daily decision to humanise before politicising, to listen before labelling, and to create spaces through sport, art, education, or policy where dignity is non-negotiable.”

She added, “and most importantly: none of us carries peace alone. We carry it collectively through conversations, friendships, collaborations, and simple gestures that remind us we belong to one another. The Olympics gave us the moment. The real work is continuing it long after the stadium lights fade.”

Hassan, also known in the literary space as Alhanislam, was designated the UN’s Global Advocate for Peace in 2025, following years of using spoken word to promote peacebuilding, inclusion, and social change.

Although she did not compete at the Games, her role at the ceremony put a Nigerian voice in one of the Olympics’ most symbolic moments, as the organisers pushed a theme centred on harmony and shared humanity

Milano Cortina 2026 organisers had earlier framed the opening night as a global pop culture moment, announcing a lineup that included Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, and Sabrina Impacciatore of The White Lotus.

They also said the February 6 ceremony, produced by Balich Wonder Studio at San Siro, would stretch beyond the stadium, with Milan and other Olympic territories hosting satellite events and symbolic moments to carry the celebration into public spaces.

Despite plans to “take the Olympics to the city,” organisers maintained that the ceremony’s main rituals would remain central, including the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

They added that some qualification events would start before the opening ceremony for logistics, but insisted it would not weaken the ceremony’s meaning as the official start of the Games. (The Guardian)

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