Taiwo Akinkunmi to Be Buried a Year After His Death: See Reasons
The family of Taiwo Michael Akinkunmi, the designer of Nigeria’s national flag, has announced they will proceed with his burial this week in Oyo State, a year after his passing. The delay, attributed to the lack of a promised state funeral, has prompted the family to take action themselves.
Akinkunmi, who passed away at the age of 87, was affectionately known as “Mr. Flag Man” and was recognized for painting his home in the national flag’s green and white colors. Despite his humble nature, his son hopes the funeral will honor his legacy as the creator of the flag that symbolizes Nigeria’s unity.
Akinkunmi, who described himself as an unlikely flag designer, entered a competition for a new national flag design in the lead-up to Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960. At the time, he was studying electrical engineering in London and saw an advertisement for the competition in a newspaper. Out of 3,000 submissions, his simple design of vertical green and white stripes was chosen to replace the colonial flag, which featured the British Union Jack and a green star on a red disk.
Initially, Akinkunmi’s design included a red sun at the center, symbolizing divine protection, but this was omitted by the committee. For his winning design, he received £100, a sum equivalent to about $280 at the time. His flag’s green stripes symbolized Nigeria’s agricultural wealth, while the white stood for peace and unity.
Akinkunmi’s early life was marked by travel across Nigeria due to his parents’ work. He was born in Ibadan, now the capital of Oyo State, and spent his formative years in various parts of the country, experiencing its cultural diversity firsthand. He completed his education in Ibadan and later worked with the Ministry of Agriculture until his retirement in 1994.
Although Akinkunmi’s contribution remained relatively unknown for much of his life, he was honored in 2010 as one of 50 distinguished Nigerians on the 50th anniversary of independence. In 2014, he received the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), one of Nigeria’s highest honors, following advocacy by a politician.
After Akinkunmi’s death, a senator’s motion for a state funeral was approved, but no arrangements were made. The family incurred daily morgue fees while awaiting the state funeral, and communication with the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (Nico), tasked with organizing the funeral, was minimal. Feeling that further delays would tarnish his father’s legacy, the family decided to hold the burial funded by Oyo State.
“My late father was a modest and intelligent man who wanted to maintain his dignity,” his son stated. “He was well-respected and valued by everyone who knew him.”
