he Federal Government has donated N30 million to the family of the late Taiwo Akinkunmi, the designer of the Nigerian national flag.
The Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, made this disclosure on Thursday, January 30, while presenting the cheque to the family at their residence in Elebu, Ibadan.
He was accompanied by the Oyo State Director of NOA, Olukemi Afolayan.
Speaking during the presentation, Issa-Onilu emphasized that the financial support was not a payment for the late Akinkunmi’s service but an appreciation of his contributions to the nation.
“The donation of N30 million to the family of the renowned National Flag designer was not to pay for the services of the late legend but to support his family in recognition of his contributions to the country,” he stated.
Responding on behalf of the family, Akinwunmi Akinkunmi, one of the late icon’s sons, expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the gesture.
Taiwo Akinkunmi passed away at the age of 87 on August 29, 2023. After a prolonged wait for government support, he was finally laid to rest in September 2024 at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Liberty Road, Ibadan.
Following his death, President Tinubu had on September 4, 2023, sent a high-powered delegation led by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, to condole with the family.
The late Akinkunmi designed the Nigerian national flag in 1959, a symbol that has since become an enduring representation of the nation’s identity