Nigeria at 62: 3 Things to Know About Taiwo Akinkunmi Who Designed Nation’s Flag
- Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi was 23 years old when he won the contest to design the Nigeria's national flag
- Before he emerged the winner of the contest, Akinkunmi was a student at the Norwood Technical College in London
- The national hero was neglected for many years before his name started getting attention in early 2000s
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy!
As Nigeria marks its 62nd Independence Day on October 1, 2023, it is important to know one of the nation's heroes who contributed greatly to the country.
One of such people is Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi. Now aged 86 years old, the man designed the country's green and white national flag.
Source: UGC
In this report, Nigeria will be looking at the core things in the life and times of the man who gave the country its national colour.
1. Taiwo Akinkunmi's early life
According to NewsWireNG, Taiwo Akinkunmi was born on May 10, 1936 in Ibadan, Oyo state. He had his secondary education in the same state at the Ibadan Grammar School (IGS) in 1950 and got his school leaving certificate there.
PAY ATTENTION: Subscribe to Digital Talk newsletter to receive must-know business stories and succeed BIG!
After secondary school, he briefly worked with a government secretariat in Ibadan before going abroad for further studies. In London, he studied electrical engineering at Norwood Technical College.
2. Designing Nigeria's flag
While an undergraduate in London, Akinkunmi heard a call for the design of the national flag, so he decided to put in for the contest.
At that time, the man was 23 years old. The advertisement for the design was in preparation for the country's independence in 1960.
He won the contest and his green and white flag was accepted. Akinwumi originally painted a sun on the white which was later discarded.
3. Akinkunmi's rewards
For the flag, he got the contest prize of £100 and became a forgotten hero for a long time. It should be noted that Akinkunmi returned to Nigeria in 1963 from London and continued his work with the secretariat in Ibadan.
A undergraduate's, Sunday Olawale Olaniran, search for his project materials in 2006 would soon revealed the condition Akinkunmi had been living in, one that was below a man who contributed greatly to his country.
In 2010, after years of neglect, the federal government gave him a presidential award, In 2014, he became the honourary life presidential adviser.
Oluwole Adetiran, man who composed NYSC anthem
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that not many know that Dr Oluwole Adetiran composed the famous anthem of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). the director-general of NYSC, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim, on Thursday, July 15, paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Ogun state.
The visit was necessitated by news of his ill health. A sweet moment during the visit was when a band of choirs who the man had trained over the years welcomed the brigadier general with stanzas of the anthem led by Oluwole.
General Ibrahim appreciated the man’s service during the welfare call as he said:
"I am very proud to be part of the NYSC success story through the Anthem I composed. I am today fulfilled by this visit.”
Source: Legit.ng
