Taiwo Akinkunmi, the Hero without Honor

INTERVIEW WITH PA AKINKUNMI TAIWO
(The Nigeria Nationa Flag Designer)

Nigeria as a giant of Africa is greatly blessed with both human and natural resources. In the process of this book, I decided to appreciate the effort and contribution of some people who did one remarkable thing or the other in our Country by putting their biography in the this book. That was what brought about the inclusion of ‘section 4’ of this book which I tagged –Nigerian Heroes/Heroine- where I revealed the biographies of some foreigners like Lord Lugard who did the amalgamations, Flora Shaw who coined Nigeria, Mary Slessor who stopped the killing of twins in the country and Mungo Park who discovered the river Niger.
As the research progresses, I just developed a thought in my heart that there is somebody left behind which I have to include. A man whose commands honour and respect among the over 20 million young ones everyday. Students (when singing national anthem) stands attentively to honour the flag of Nigeria which the man used his initiatives to design 48 years ago. Visit any School in the Country, you find it there, it’s hanged in many offices even in the Presidential villa in Abuja, it’s there and other Nigerian Embassies abroad.

Recently, I and my crew decided on a trip to give honour to whom honour is due. We paid a visit to Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi, the man who designed Nigeria National Flag in the year 1958.

We were ushered in by his son named Akinwumi Akinkunmi and we had a brief interaction with Baba who just clocked 70 years on earth. Enjoy the interview:

Author : Good day Sir,

Pa Akinkunmi : Good day, you are welcome

Author : Can we meet you sir?

Pa Akinkunmi : My name is Taiwo Akinkumi, I hailed from Owu in Abeokuta, Ogun State.



Author : Sir, can we know your educational background?

Pa Akinkunmi : Yes, I attended Baptist Day Secondary School, Ibadan for my Primary education, Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan for my Secondary education and after that I took up an appointment as a Civil Servant at Secretariat Ibadan. After working for a number of Years , I decided to travel overseas for further education. I discussed it with my colleagues and they told me the challenges in studying abroad. I later decided to face the challenges and I traveled abroad.

Author : What Course did you study then and at which College?

Pa Akinkunmi : I studied Agric. Engineering at Norway Technical College and after my graduation, I returned to the Country and served in the Ministry of Agriculture.

Author : We all knew and believe that you were the one who designed Nigeria national flag in the colour green ,white and green

Pa Akinkunmi : Yes, of course

Author : Sir, can you let us know how the whole things happened?

Pa Akinkunmi: Yes, I was studying in London and on that particular day I visited the Library and came across a publication in the newspaper that competition is going on for the production of the National flag and the flag will be used in celebrating the independence of the Country.

Author (cuts in) : What year was that sir?

Pa Akinkunmi : That was the year 1958.

Author : So, what happened after reading the publication?

Pa Akinkunmi : I was so interested in the competition, so I decided to participate. I quickly rushed back to my hostel where I jotted down the details about the Competition. I immediately prepared my entry and sent it straight away to Lagos. Later, I received a letter that the entry I sent was picked as the flag for the independent Nigeria.



Author : Sir, do you have the idea of the total number of entry submitted then?

Pa Akinkunmi: There are were over 2000 entries submitted.



Author : And your own entry was picked?

Pa Akinkunmi : Yes.

Author : Did you receive any award or prize for winning the competition then?

Pa Akinkunmi: Yes, they gave me the prize of one hundred pounds (100 pounds)

Author: Who gave you that?

Pa Akinkunmi: The white men gave me as the man that designed the flag.

Author : Sir, after that time, have you ever received any award or honour locally or nationally?

Pa Akinkunmi: The prize then was the only one I received

Author : You mean when you came back to the Country you have not been honoured?

Pa Akinkunmi : I was in London when I received the prize of one hundred pounds and I’ve not received any award or national honor since the time I came back to the country. Although I received a lot of congratulatory messages from different set of people but I'm still expecting the Government of Nigeria to honour me with any National Honor