One year after his passing, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi, the late designer of the Nigerian national flag, was buried in the capital city of Oyo State, Ibadan. The family had anticipated a state funeral provided by the federal government, but it never happened. At the age of 87, Akinkunmi passed away on September 4, 2023, and his family was spending N2,000 a day to preserve his body in a morgue. The burial ceremonies for the flag designer will be paid for by the Oyo State government.
Akinkunmi’s three-day funeral was scheduled to take place in Ibadan on September 4, 2024, and conclude on September 6, 2024. Akinwumi, the deceased’s son, conveyed the family’s expectation that the federal government will keep its word about the funeral. He was grateful for the support shown to the family by Bolaji Ayorinde, the chairman of the Oyo State Advisory Council, and members of the 7th Oyo State House of Assembly.
The National Institute for Cultural Orientation of the Arts Ministry was entrusted with planning their father’s state burial in June. But following the ministry’s initial phone conversation, the institution did not provide any updates or developments. Akinwumi expressed concern that delaying further would be disrespectful to the memories of his father.
The federal government has been urged by the Oyo State government to provide late Pa Akinkunmi the respect he deserves as an icon who deserved to be part of the nation’s identity. The 87-year-old Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi’s funeral should be celebrated as a national holiday, according to Prince Dotun Oyelade, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation.
