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Taiwo Akinkunmi

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Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi
OFR
Born
Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi

(1936-05-10)10 May 1936
Abeokuta, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria
Died29 August 2023(2023-08-29) (aged 87)
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
Other namesMichael
Occupation(s)Electrical engineer, retired Nigerian civil servant
Years active1958–2023

Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi OFR (10 May 1936 – 29 August 2023) was a Nigerian civil servant who was best known for designing Nigeria's national flag.[1] He was commonly referred to as Mr. Flag Man.[2]

Early life and career

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Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi was born in Ibadan, of Yoruba origin, the older of a set of twins. He lived with his father until he was 8 years old before he relocated to the Northern part of Nigeria. He began his early education in the North.[3] After his father's retirement, he came down to the West and was re-enrolled at Baptist Day School, Idi-Ikan in Ibadan. He finished from Baptist Day School Idi-kan in 1949, and proceeded to Ibadan Grammar School (IGS) in 1950 where he enjoyed a very good education.

Akinkunmi left IGS in 1955 and took an appointment as an agriculturist at the Western Region Secretariat in Ibadan as a civil servant. He would then work some years before gaining admission to the Norwood Technical College, currently known as Lambeth College in London where he studied electrical engineering.[4] While studying there, he designed the Nigerian Flag. He returned to Nigeria in 1963 and went back to the agricultural department at the secretariat in Ibadan to continue where he stopped.[5] He worked as a civil servant until 1994, when hired as Assistant Superintendent of Agriculture. He was honoured as an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and honorary life presidential adviser on 29 September 1994 at the Abuja Conference Centre.[6]

Designing Nigeria's national flag

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Akinkunmi entered the competition which he came across in a library. In his own words, "I took details of what is [to be] expected to design a flag that would be used by a country that was about to witness [its] independence. I took part in the competition and my design was selected as the best in the year 1958."[7] In 2021, Akinkunmi unveiled the world’s largest national flag in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.[8]

  • Akinkunmi's Original design
    Akinkunmi's Original design
  • Final design
    Final design

Personal life and death

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Akinkunmi was married with a wife and had children.[9] He died on 29 August 2023, at the age of 87 after a brief illness.[10] Despite promises by the federal government to hold a state funeral for him, no such ceremony was held, and the Oyo State government decided instead to help arrange the funeral scheduled in September 2024.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Akinkunmi unveils world's largest flag in Ibadan". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  2. ^ Aderinto, S. (2017). African Kingdoms: An Encyclopedia of Empires and Civilizations. ABC-CLIO. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-61069-580-0. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Taiwo Akinkunmi and the Nigerian Flag Born in 1936 and a lifelong civil servant of Ibadan, Akinkunmi is easily most famous for designing the Nigerian national flag. Only 23 years old at the time and studying abroad in London, Akinkunmi was prompted by a newspaper advertisement to enter the competition. His winning design earned him £100 and the nickname "Mr. Flag Man." The green and white stripes of his design serve as the inspiration for the color scheme of his house in ...
  3. ^ "Among all the houses on Emerald Street, Dugbe, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi's house stands out! Its uniqueness is neither because it is the most beautiful, nor the most expensive with the state-of-the-art facilities. | Encomium Magazine". Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  4. ^ (Nigeria), National Youth Service Corps (1991). NYSC Year Book. The Corps. p. 167. Retrieved 12 February 2018. .. colourful flower which grows widely in Nigeria. The eagle stands for strength, and the chargers symbolize dignity. The Nation's motto is Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress. The flag is divided vertically into three equal parts. The central part is white and the two outer parts are green. The green of the flag represents agriculture and the white is for unity and peace. Mr Taiwo Akinkunmi, at that time a 25-year old Nigerian engineering student at the Norwood Technical College, London, ...
  5. ^ "Among all the houses on Emerald Street, Dugbe, Ibadan, Oyo State, Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi's house stands out! Its uniqueness is neither because it is the most beautiful, nor the most expensive with the state-of-the-art facilities. | Encomium Magazine". Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. ^ Perishable. "Designer of Nigerian Flag, Steward, Driver, Traffic Warden Bag National Honours". TELL. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  7. ^ Ismail, Y.; Roxario, P. (2001). Nigeria. Countries of the World (in German). Gareth Stevens Pub. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-8368-2337-0. Retrieved 12 February 2018. ... The Nigerian flag is composed of three vertical panels of equal size. The two outer panels are green, representing Nigerian agriculture. The middle panel is white and symbolizes unity and peace. The flag was designed in 1958 by Taiwo Akinkunmi, a student from Ibadan. ...
  8. ^ "Designer of Nigeria's flag, Akinkunmi, unveils world's largest flag in Ibadan". Tribune Online. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  9. ^ TopNews. "Biography of Mr Flag Man, Taiwo Akinkunmi". Boomentertainment. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ^ Tosin, Alamu (30 August 2023). "Who is Taiwo Akinkunmi: History of Nigerian Flag Designer". NGNews247. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  11. ^ Aderogba, Blessing (4 September 2024). "Why Nigeria's 'Mr Flag Man' has waited a year to be buried". BBC. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
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