Designer of Nigeria’s flag, Taiwo Akinkunmi, dies, aged 87
The designer of the Nigerian flag, Taiwo Akinkunmi, has been reported dead in the early hours of Wednesday after a brief illness, aged 87.
The Informant247 gathered that Akinkunmi Akinwumi, one of his children, announced the death in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
He said, “Life is indeed transient; I can say boldly that you lived a life with a landmark. Continue to rest, my father! Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (O.F.R.): Great Man has gone.”
Before his death, Akinkunmi, on his 85th birthday in 2021, former President Muhammadu Buhari celebrated Akinkunmi for upholding “the values that every citizen should emulate for nation building, which include humility, selflessness, integrity and a keen interest in seeking greater good for country and humanity”.
The former president prayed to God to grant the octogenarian and retired civil servant a longer life, good health and strength to keep serving the nation he loves.
THE GREEN AND WHITE DESIGN THAT WON
In 1959, while studying abroad, Akinkunmi saw a newspaper advertisement requesting the submission of designs for the Nigerian national flag as the African nation prepared to gain independence from the British colonial masters.
Akinkunmi, then a 23-year-old engineering student at Norwood Technical College in London, joined the competition, where he designed the flag.
Meanwhile, in 1960, Akinkunmi’s design was deemed the best from a pool of 2000 entries. He was told that his green and white design had won.
At the time, he received a reward of £100 for the feat.
Bio
Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi was born on May 10, 1936, and hailed from Owu in Abeokuta, Ogun state.
He attended Baptist Day Secondary School, Ibadan, for his primary education, Ibadan Grammar School for his secondary education and then took up an appointment as a civil servant at the state secretariat Ibadan.
After working for several years, he travelled abroad to study agricultural engineering at Norwood Technical College.
Upon graduation, he returned to Nigeria and served in the ministry.
In 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan conferred on him the honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR).
Jonathan also directed his chief of staff to place him “forever” on a salary equivalent to that of a special assistant to the president.
