Pa. Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, the person who designed the green, white, and green flag of Nigeria, has passed away, News About Nigeria reports.
Akinwunmi Akinkunmi, one of his children, posted on Facebook about the passing of Pa. Akinkunmi, 93, who passed away early on Tuesday after a brief illness.
“Life is indeed transitory, but I can confidently say that you lived a life marked by a landmark,” wrote Akinkunmi. Stay in bed, my father! Pa. Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, OFR Great Man is no longer.
On May 10, 1936, Akinwumi was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State; nevertheless, he spent the majority of his life in Ibadan.
His secondary education was completed at Ibadan Grammar School after completing his elementary school at Baptist Day Secondary School in Ibadan.
He began his career as a government employee in Ibadan at the Western Region Civil Service before travelling abroad to Norway Technical College to study agricultural engineering.
While living overseas in 1958, Akinkunmi came across an advertisement in a national newspaper asking for ideas for the Nigerian national flag in light of the country’s impending independence from British rule.
His submission of green-white-green was chosen as the best of the roughly 2,000 entries received, and on Independence Day (October 1, 1960), the flag was raised while the British Union Jack was down.
When Akinkunmi’s design was chosen, the government gave him £100.
Recall that his original design for the nation’s flag featured a sun motif, which was changed to become the current flag’s green, white, and green colour scheme. A lot of well-known Nigerians haven’t stopped grieving for the late, legendary Nigerian who will always be remembered for his extraordinary contributions to the nation.
