FG Donates ₦30 Million To Family Of Late Nigerian Flag Designer, Taiwo Akinkunmi

The Federal Government has donated ₦30 million to the family of Taiwo Akinkunmi, the late designer of Nigeria’s national flag, in recognition of his contributions to the country.

Akinkunmi, who passed away on August 30, 2023, at the age of 87, was buried on September 6, 2024, a year after his death, following his family’s unfulfilled wait for a promised state burial.

The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, alongside the Oyo State Director of the Agency, Olukemi Afolayan, presented the ₦30 million cheque to the Akinkunmi family in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Thursday.

Issa-Onilu stated that the donation was not a payment for Akinkunmi’s services but a token of appreciation for his patriotic contributions to Nigeria.

“The donation of ₦30 million to the family of the renowned national flag designer was not to pay for his services, but to support his family in appreciation of his contributions to the country,” Issa-Onilu said.

President Bola Tinubu had earlier pledged financial support and a national burial for the late Akinkunmi when a government delegation led by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, paid a condolence visit to his family on September 4, 2023.

While the state burial did not materialize, the financial pledge has now been fulfilled.

Speaking on behalf of the Akinkunmi family, Akinwunmi Akinkunmi, one of the deceased’s sons, expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for honouring his father’s legacy.

“We deeply appreciate the kind gesture from President Tinubu and the federal government. This support means a lot to our family,” he said.

Taiwo Akinkunmi designed the Nigerian national flag in 1959, ahead of the country’s independence in 1960. His design, featuring a green-white-green pattern, remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Nigerian identity.