JANUARY 30, 2025 — Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has donated ₦30 million (USD$19,640) to the family of the late Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, designer of Nigeria’s national flag, the Daily Post and the Sahara Reporters report.
The cheque was presented today, by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, at the family’s residence in Ibadan. Onilu stated that the donation was not a payment for Akinkunmi’s contributions but a gesture of support.
The donation follows a 2023 government pledge of financial aid and a state burial for Akinkunmi, who died on August 29, 2023, at age 87.
However, the state burial did not occur, and his family, with support from the Oyo State government, arranged his funeral. His burial was conducted privately by ministers from the Gospel Faith Mission International, rather than as a state event.
His son, Akinwunmi, expressed gratitude for the donation but acknowledged that the family had given up hope on the promised burial.
Akinkunmi, who designed Nigeria’s flag in 1958 while studying in the UK, was awarded £100 for his winning design.
Image: Aerra Carnicom, CC BY-SA 4.0