Oyo Unveils Week-Long Programme for Golden Jubilee Celebration

The Oyo State Government has unveiled a comprehensive week-long programme of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state.

The golden jubilee celebration, which will feature religious, cultural, intellectual and social engagements, is designed to reflect on the state’s journey over the past five decades while setting the agenda for future growth and development.

Chairman of the Oyo State 50th Anniversary Committee and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the State Secretariat in Ibadan.

Akinade-Fijabi said the programme was carefully structured to blend thanksgiving, reflection, intellectual discourse and cultural celebration, in line with the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde to reposition Oyo State for sustainable development.

According to him, activities will commence on January 26 with a lecture to be delivered by Governor Makinde at the University of Ibadan, and will climax on February 3 with a grand dinner night to honour distinguished citizens and individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of the state.

“One of the major highlights of the celebration is a public lecture themed, ‘Consolidating the Legacy, Navigating the Present, and Reimagining the Future,’ which will provide an opportunity for critical reflection on the state’s past and future,” he said.

Other activities lined up for the celebration include health outreach programmes across the state’s 33 local government areas, film shows in the six geopolitical zones, a carnival, symposiums, lectures, religious services, sports competitions and women empowerment programmes.

Akinade-Fijabi noted that the inclusive nature of the events reflects the Makinde administration’s commitment to ensuring that all segments of the society are actively involved in the historic milestone.

Citizen FM reports that Oyo State was created on February 3, 1976, from the former Western Region of Nigeria, with Ibadan as its administrative capital.