Taiwo Akinkunmi

Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi OFR (born 10 May 1936) is a retired Nigerian civil servant. He is famous for designing Nigeria's national flag, and he is commonly called "Mr. Flag Man".[1]

Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi
Born
Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi

(1936-05-10) 10 May 1936
Ibadan
Other namesMichael
OccupationElectrical engineer, retired Nigerian civil servant
Years active1958 – present

Early life and career

Akinkunmi was born in Ibadan, of Yoruba origin, the older of a set of twins. He lived with his father until age 8 before he relocated to the Northern part of Nigeria. He began his early education in the North.[2] 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.

He 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 in London where he studied electrical engineering.[3] 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.[4] He worked as a civil servant until 1994 and retired as Assistant Superintendent of Agriculture. He was honoured with Officer of the order of Federal Republic (OFR) and honorary life presidential adviser on 29 September 2014 at the conference centre Abuja.[5]

Designing Nigeria's national flag

He 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."[6]

  • Akinkunmi's Original design
  • Final design

Personal life

He is married with a wife and children.[7]

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References
  1. Aderinto, S. (2017). African Kingdoms: An Encyclopedia of Empires and Civilizations. ABC-CLIO. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-61069-580-0. Retrieved February 12, 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 ...
  2. "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 2020-05-16.
  3. (Nigeria), National Youth Service Corps (1991). NYSC Year Book. The Corps. p. 167. Retrieved February 12, 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, ...
  4. "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 2020-05-16.
  5. Perishable. "Designer of Nigerian Flag, Steward, Driver, Traffic Warden Bag National Honours". TELL. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  6. Ismail, Y.; Roxario, P. (2001). Nigeria. Countries of the World (in German). Gareth Stevens Pub. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-8368-2337-0. Retrieved February 12, 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. ...
  7. TopNews. "Biography of Mr Flag Man, Taiwo Akinkunmi". Boomentertainment. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
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