Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (OFR), the man who designed Nigeria’s flag, has passed away at the age of 93.
He died in the early hours of Tuesday after a brief illness, according to one of his children who announced his demise on Facebook.
Pa Akinkunmi, a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, was born on May 10, 1936, but lived in Ibadan until his death.
He attended Baptist Day Secondary School, Ibadan, for his primary education and Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan, for his secondary education. He started his career as a civil servant at the Secretariat of Ibadan and later travelled overseas to study agricultural engineering at Norway Technical College.
In 1958, during his stay abroad, Akinkunmi stumbled upon an advertisement in a national daily calling for the submission of designs for the Nigerian national flag in view of Nigeria’s imminent independence from British rule.
He decided to participate in the contest and submitted his design, which featured a white band flanked by two green ones, and a red sun with streaming rays on the white band.
His design was selected as the best among the roughly 2,000 entries submitted. The sun was eventually removed by the overseeing committee to produce the present design.
The green bands represent the forests and abundant natural wealth of the country, while the white band represents peace. The flag was officially hoisted on Independence Day (October 1, 1960) instead of the British Union Jack.
Akinkunmi was awarded 100 pounds by the government when his design was selected. He has also been honoured with the MON (Member of the Order of the Niger) Award by President Goodluck Jonathan. He is widely regarded as a national hero and a symbol of patriotism.
Akinkunmi’s death is a great loss to Nigeria. He was a national hero who will be remembered for his ingenuity and his contribution to the country’s independence.
