Posted by Pa The flag of Nigeria was created by Taiwo Akinkunmi, who has since passed away. After a brief illness, he passed away early on Tuesday morning.
On Facebook, one of his children broke the news of his passing.
He penned,
Life is fleeting; yet, I can confidently guarantee that you have a defining moment in your life.
“Please don’t wake up, Dad!” He was a great man, Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (O.F.R.).”
The banner
In 1958, when Nigeria was still a colony of the United Kingdom, Akinkunmi spotted a call for submissions in a national newspaper for designs for the country’s flag.
His submission was chosen from among more than two thousand others.
A crimson sun with radiating rays once adorned the white band of the original design of the flag, which was also flanked by two green bands.
The presiding committee ultimately decided to eliminate the sun. The design by Akinkunmi was chosen because of its originality and depth.
The green stripes stand for the country’s forests and other natural resources, while the white stripe represents peace.
On October 1, 1960, Independence Day, the flag was flown instead of the British Union Jack, and its designer, Akinkunmi, received a prize of 100 pounds.
President Goodluck Jonathan awarded him the prestigious title of “Member of the Order of the Niger.”
Bio
Abeokuta, Ogun State, is where Akinkunmi grew up. He was an Ibadan native with a May 10, 1936, birthdate.
He completed his secondary school at Ibadan, both at Baptist Day Secondary School and Ibadan Grammar School.
Akinkunmi began his career in government service at the Ibadan Secretariat. He afterwards attended Norway Technical College for his education in agricultural engineering.