The designer of the Nigerian flag, Taiwo Michael Akinkunmi, is set to be buried this week in Oyo State, where he resided. This comes a year after his death at the age of 87. The delay in his burial was due to the Federal Government’s promise of a state funeral, which never materialized.

In the meantime, Akinkunmi’s family has been paying N2,000 daily to keep his body in a morgue. His son revealed that in June, they were informed that the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), under the Ministry of Arts, had been tasked with organizing the state funeral. However, after one initial phone call, there was no further communication, leaving the family feeling that waiting longer would tarnish his father’s legacy.

The Oyo State government has since stepped in to fund the burial rites for the flag designer. It’s worth recalling that Akinkunmi was not officially recognized until Nigeria’s 50th Independence anniversary when he was honored as one of 50 distinguished Nigerians. Later, with the help of an Oyo State politician, he was awarded a national honor and pension, and in 2014, he was made an Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), one of the country’s highest awards.

Following Akinkunmi’s death last year, a senator successfully sponsored a motion for a state burial in his honor. However, with the Federal Government failing to follow through on its promise, the Oyo State government has taken over the responsibility for the final rites of the man fondly known as “Mr. Flag Man.”