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 symbolic moment took place on February 6, 2026, at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan. The Olympic flag — a white banner bearing five interlocking rings — is traditionally carried by selected global figures who embody the Games’ ideals of unity and peace, rather than by competing athletes.

Hassan was part of a select group introduced by organisers as the “Flag Bearers of Peace.” Others honoured alongside her included Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, Brazilian gymnastics star Rebeca Andrade, and Tongan humanitarian Pita Taufatofua, among others.

Sharing her reflections on Instagram, Hassan described the experience as deeply symbolic.

“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 wrote.

She added that peace is a collective responsibility.

“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.” 

Also known in literary circles as Alhanislam, Hassan was appointed a United Nations Global Advocate for Peace in 2025, following years of using spoken-word poetry and creative expression to promote peacebuilding, inclusion and social change across communities.

Although she did not participate as an athlete, her role at the ceremony placed a Nigerian voice at one of the Olympics’ most powerful symbolic moments, reinforcing the organisers’ theme of harmony and shared humanity.

Earlier, organisers of Milano Cortina 2026 had described the opening ceremony as a global pop culture spectacle, unveiling a star-studded lineup that included Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, and Sabrina Impacciatore of The White Lotus.

Produced by Balich Wonder Studio, the ceremony was designed to extend beyond the stadium, with Milan and other Olympic territories hosting satellite events and symbolic celebrations across public spaces.

Despite plans to “take the Olympics to the city,” organisers stressed that the core traditions — including the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron — would remain central to the ceremony, underscoring its significance as the official opening of the Games.