Imo To Honour 50 Distinguished Indigenes, Friends, As State Marks Golden Jubilee

As part of the activities marking the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the creation of the state, the Imo State Government will confer honours on 50 distinguished persons, comprising indigenes and friends of the state, who have contributed significantly to its growth and development.

The Imo State Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, disclosed this in a statement in Owerri. He noted that the final list of the 50 recipients, which includes both living and posthumous, will be officially announced on Wednesday, 4 February.

According to the Commissioner, the awards will be presented on Saturday, 7 February 2026, to conclude a week-long series of events marking the golden jubilee celebrations. The celebrations will commence on Sunday, 1 February, with an interdenominational thanksgiving service at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri. The competitive aspect of the jubilee also begins that day with the Golden Jubilee Quiz. To ensure wide participation, the quiz will be conducted entirely online. Participants and interested members of the public are invited to register and compete via the official jubilee quiz portal at www.imo50quiz.ng.

Details of the programme of activities are as follows:

Sunday, 1 February: Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service at the Dan Anyiam Stadium and conduct of the online quiz competition.

Monday, 2 February: announcement of the quiz winners.

Tuesday, 3 February: Golden Jubilee Cultural and Stars Night. This event will feature well-known Nollywood comedians and the presentation of prizes to the winners of the Golden Jubilee Quiz.

Wednesday, 4 February: the governor will perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the Imo Hall of Fame and Archives. The 50 recipients of the Golden Jubilee Star Honours will be announced on the same day.

Thursday, 5 February: A Media Parley and live radio phone-in programme with the governor at the Old EXCO Chambers. (Tentative)

Friday, 6 February: finals of Zonal Football Competition at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

Saturday, 7 February: The Grand Finale, featuring the honours awards ceremony and the unveiling by His Excellency of the commemorative book, Imo@50: The Full Story.

The statement further disclosed that the Central Planning Committee has empanelled 14 sub-committees to ensure the seamless execution of the jubilee. The committees include Works, Media, Protocol, Security, health, Awards, Entertainment, Contact and Mobilisation and others.

The Commissioner urged Imo people to check the Statesman newspaper on Monday, 26 January 2026, to confirm the sub-committees to which they have been nominated to serve.