At the just concluded Imo@50 celebration, Uzodimma’s Midas touch was on display again. When he celebrated his birthday in December last year, Nigeria saluted him. When he celebrated his sixth year in office, virtually the who is who in Nigeria attended. And at the grand finale of the Imo@50 golden jubilee, the guest list was yet another roll call of eminent Nigerians.
They came from the North and South. They came from the East and West. They came from the 27 local government areas of the state. People swarmed Owerri, the state capital, to witness another of those quality ceremonies organised by the ever effervescent and charismatic Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma. But this was no ordinary ceremony. It was the grand finale of the weeklong celebrations marking the golden jubilee of the creation of the state. It attracted the rich and mighty. It brought the poor also. The young came with their energetic zeal. The old came feeling nostalgic, remembering the morning of 3 February 1976, when the military government of General Murtala Mohammed announced the creation of Imo State from East Central State.
The Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shettima, led the federal government delegation. The Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Biodun Oyebanji, led a retinue of governors in solidarity with Uzodimma, who is Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum. Ministers, federal and state lawmakers, and other top government officials were present. The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and other prominent traditional rulers added flair to the occasion. So did entertainers led by Nollywood legends and other artists, both of Imo State origin and from afar.
The large crowd erupted in loud cheers when it was announced that almost all the former governors and administrators of the state who were still alive had either attended or sent representatives. General Ike Nwachukwu, in his eighties, was there. So were Chief Ikedi Ohakim and Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha. Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth who served as Chairman of the occasion, described the gathering as one befitting a golden jubilee.
The atmosphere at the grounds of Government House, Owerri, where the occasion was held on Saturday, 7 February 2026, was both convivial and solemn. Some families wept when their late fathers were honoured by the Imo State government for their contributions to the creation and development of the state. The winners of the quiz competition, who received between one million and twenty million naira, almost fainted when their names were called and Uzodimma handed them their symbolic cheques.
When the first civilian Governor of old Imo State, Chief Sam Mbakwe, was called for a posthumous award, it was greeted with a loud ovation — people acknowledging not just his pioneering role in building the state, but the current administration’s decision to accord honour to whom it was due. Equally well received was the award to the immediate past Governor, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha. It was seen as a unifying gesture aimed at closing an acrimonious past and moving forward together. The political goal scored by Uzodimma through that recognition was not lost on anyone. It was hailed as a sure sign of reconciliation and brotherhood between the two men.
The awards to deserving sons and daughters of the state and other Nigerians were among the highlights, alongside the launch of a book — Imo@50: The Full Story — a comprehensive compendium of the state’s history, developmental initiatives and leadership trajectory. But what moved some to tears were the tributes paid to Uzodimma. From the Vice President to Emeka Anyaoku, he was praised for focused and inclusive leadership and visionary developmental strides.
Vice President Shettima congratulated the state on its fiftieth anniversary, praising its contributions to Nigeria’s political, cultural and intellectual life. He hailed Governor Uzodimma as “a game-changing revolutionary in Imo’s modern political history” whose leadership ensures that “governance is not theatre, but duty.” Shettima highlighted achievements in education, Nollywood, agriculture and technology, noting that “Imo’s skill, human capital, and institutional strength remain strategic assets for long-term economic leadership.” He urged the state to build on these foundations, saying the golden jubilee should inspire “unity, innovation, and service-driven policy” for the next fifty years. Commenting on the previous day’s commissioning of the Orashi Electricity Substation, the Vice President declared: “Imo State has shown that states do not have to wait endlessly for power. This is what true federalism looks like.” He described the project as positioning Imo as “a new growth frontier in Nigeria’s economic diversification drive.”
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, in his opening remarks as Chairman, described Governor Uzodimma as an “infrastructure governor,” citing his administration’s impact across key sectors. “The sobriquet of ‘infrastructure governor’ attached to Governor Hope Uzodimma is well understood and well deserved,” Anyaoku said, adding that the administration is leaving “an admirable legacy” in the state. The elder statesman, however, did not shy away from broader national concerns, stressing that credible elections remain the foundation of democracy and urging the National Assembly to reconsider its opposition to the electronic transmission of election results. He congratulated Uzodimma for leading Imo State to what he described as an enviable position.
Governor Oyebanji of Ekiti State, speaking on behalf of the governors present, described Uzodimma as a model of effective leadership and a reference point among governors for commitment to the people. He commended the Orashi Power Project in particular, noting that improved power supply will boost productivity, create jobs and ensure a more prosperous future for the state.
After a goodwill message by the Obi of Onitsha, the Ooni of Ife addressed the gathering on behalf of the entire traditional institution in the country. The Ooni commended Governor Uzodimma’s unifying leadership, describing him as a “brother” and a bridge-builder who has brought together past and present leaders, traditional rulers, and governors from across Nigeria, rising above political differences in the interest of the state. He prayed for continued progress in Imo State and blessed the governor with strength and wisdom.
Chief Greg Mbadiwe, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the Congo, described Governor Uzodimma as the father of modern Imo State. He cited the governor’s infrastructural revolution and human capital development — particularly the Skill-Up Imo project, through which more than 65,000 youths have received digital training — as evidence of a purposeful and visionary leader whose impact in governance is unrivalled. “If you aggregate the success he has recorded in infrastructure, economic reforms and human capital development, it is clear that he is far ahead of his predecessors,” he declared.
Chief Tony Chukwu, a billionaire industrialist and prominent son of Imo State, aligned himself with Mbadiwe’s assessment, saying Uzodimma has surpassed the expectations of Imo people. He described the commissioning of the Orashi Power Project as a game changer and said the celebration and conferment of honours on deserving sons and daughters have placed Uzodimma on a leadership pedestal never witnessed before in the state. Chief Henry Ikoh, a former minister; Chief Emeka Atuma, an APC chieftain from Abia State; Chief Charles Amadi, an industrialist; and Chief Ambrose Nwaisu, a businessman, also spoke glowingly of Uzodimma’s leadership and the rapid transformation of Imo State. They urged Imo people to support the governor to do more.
In his address, Governor Uzodimma used the occasion to declare that he is bequeathing a prosperous Imo characterised by industrialisation, digital technology and steady power supply. He said the infrastructural revolution achieved by his administration in six years has put the state on the path of sustainable development with a strengthened economy.
Speaking to the mammoth crowd, Uzodimma disclosed that the 25-year strategic plan his administration set for the state last year was designed to make it an industrial digital hub in Africa. “It is a roadmap designed to secure a trillion-dollar economy for Imo, positioning it as the premier digital hub in Africa, anchoring our growth on the Orashi special energy free trade zone and a cargo airport with global connectivity,” he said. He noted that going forward, the future wealth of Imo State will come not from the ground but from the minds of its people. “Through our Skill-Up Imo programme, we have already trained 65,000 youths in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Coding. By the time we reach our 75th anniversary, these digital natives would have turned Eastern Heartland into a global tech corridor.”
Uzodimma said he was determined to approach the future with renewed economic vigour. “By 2076, Imo must be a fully industrialised knowledge economy — a place where innovation is our primary export and where our universities rival any in the world.” He described the state’s fifty-year journey as a story of resilience, faith and steady progress, declaring that Imo has “come of age.” Recalling the early years, he noted that “the state’s first budget in 1976 stood at just N259.4 million, with heavy dependence on federal allocations. We truly had little at the beginning, but we were filled with joy and hope,” he said. “Fifty years later, God has proven faithful, guiding us from small beginnings to stability and ambition.”
The Governor acknowledged the contributions of past administrations, stressing that each government since 1976 added value to the Imo project. He highlighted significant economic growth under his watch, revealing that Imo’s budget has grown to N1.439 trillion, while internally generated revenue rose from N26.6 million in 1976 to over N63 billion in 2025 — “more than a 1,600-fold increase.” On infrastructure, he said his government has constructed over 130 roads, upgraded the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport for international operations, expanded healthcare coverage through a state health insurance scheme, and commissioned the Orashi Power Project.
The high points of the event included the presentation of symbolic cheques of N20 million, N10 million and N5 million to the winner and runners-up of the Imo@50 Quiz Competition; the conferment of the Golden Star Governor of Imo State (GSGI) on the late Chief Sam Mbakwe and Governor Uzodimma; and the Grand Service Star of Imo State (GSSI) to former governors and distinguished sons and daughters of the state. Other awards conferred were the Distinguished Star of Imo State (DSI), the Art and Culture Star of Imo State (ACSI), the Star of Innovation Award (SIA) and the Star of Youth Leadership (SYL).
The event was graced by the Governors of Borno, Ekiti, Kogi and Taraba States; the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and other APC national and state officials; members of the National Assembly; the Speaker and members of the Imo State House of Assembly; traditional rulers from Imo and other states; members of the clergy; captains of industry; members of the Imo State Executive Council; and stakeholders and friends of Imo State.
Emelumba is the commissioner for Information, Imo State
