Imo @50: Celebrating Our Past, Consolidating Our Present, Securing Our FutureHope Uzodimma

I am overwhelmed with joy to address the good people of Imo State and our friends on this momentous occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebration of the creation of our state. I recall with nostalgia the mercurial atmosphere in the state on February 3rd, 1976, when the military government of General Murtala Mohammed announced the creation of the state. We practically had nothing in Owerri, the state capital, but we were totally delirious because it was like the birth of a long-awaited freedom. We truly relished the joy.

It has been fifty years of building upon hope, relying on the grace of God, the resilience of our people, and the promise of tomorrow. I give God all the glory that in these 50 years He has proven Himself faithful, guiding our footsteps, marching with us in victory after victory, and sustaining us in our quest to establish a virile state of excellence, with shared prosperity and determined hope for the future.

We have certainly come a long way. When our founding fathers canvassed for the creation of Imo State before the Justice Ayo Irikefe panel, they cited contiguity amongst the people, similarities in language and culture, and above all, history, which, like a thread, bound us together. They were right.

After 50 years, I dare say that Owerri has never looked more beautiful, and our hearts have never been more open. To our fellow citizens from every corner of this great federation, to the dignitaries who have travelled across borders to be with us, and to every friend of the Eastern Heartland I say: welcome. You are in the home of the hospitable. Your presence here today does more than honour our invitation; it validates the enduring bond of brotherhood that defines the Nigerian spirit. As we celebrate our golden milestone, we do so with the warmth and open arms for which the people of Imo are known across the world.

Our journey as a state, as you know, began fifty years ago, precisely on February 3rd, 1976. That was when a new heartbeat began in the centre of the old East Central State. That heartbeat has grown into a powerful anthem of resilience. We gather at this grand finale to offer our profound thanks to the Almighty God. It is by His grace that we have navigated the turbulent waters of our early years to reach this golden shore of stability.

Indeed, Imo has come of age. Those born in 1976 are now full-grown adults. The women amongst them are even becoming grandmothers, signifying substantial growth both in age and accomplishments. It is true that some born that year have already died. But most are still alive, savouring the grace and mercy of God in this great state named after the famous Imo River. We have made significant progress both as a people and a state since 1976, but it is not yet uhuru. We are not yet where we ought to be. But I have no doubt that we are on the right path in our journey of resilience, courage, and abiding faith in God.

For those of us who have walked this earth from 1976, the Jubilee Generation, this moment is deeply personal. You arrived at the same time our identity as “Imo” was forged. To have lived through every administration and every communal triumph is a humbling opportunity to be a living witness to history. We have seen Owerri transform from a provincial town into a sophisticated metropolitan hub. We have seen our people task themselves to build an airport. We have seen our villages light up and our children rise to lead global corporations. This history is not found in textbooks alone; it is etched into our very lives.
What is the enduring thread that has kept us united? It is the indomitable Imo Spirit: a blend of deep-rooted faith, restless industriousness, and an unbreakable commitment to our social ties.

Whether it is the strength of our town unions or the “Onye aghala nwanne ya” spirit, our identity is built on empathy. This bond is our greatest asset. As we look to the future, our primary duty is to preserve and deepen these ties, ensuring that our unity remains an immovable rock.

Yet we must be courageous enough to tell ourselves the hard truth that our political journey has often fallen short of the excellence of our people. For too long, the shadow of divisive politics has threatened our cohesion. As we cross this golden threshold, I urge every political actor and stakeholder to embrace a higher sense of duty. The era of narrow interests must end with this jubilee.

Let us resolve that in this new chapter, our politics will be a vehicle for development and a bridge for unity, putting the collective destiny of Imo above individual ambition. This resolve is not born of wishful thinking. It is born of remembering how far we have come, and recognising how much further we can go if we remain united in purpose.

At 50, we should have grown enough to learn from our mistakes, giving us the advantage of marching into the future with greater confidence. As Robert Frost reminds us, fifty years is like the “afternoon,” which “knows what the morning never suspected.” So with the advantage of the afternoon of our statehood, we should be able to learn from the mistakes our morning never suspected.

To understand where we are going, we must look back at where we began. On Saturday, 24 April 1976, our first Military Governor, then-Lieutenant Commander Godwin Ndubuisi Kanu, presented the very first budget of this infant state. It was a time of immense hope but also immense neglect.

At that time, our young state had recurrent revenue of just N102.2 million. In that first year, our total budget was N259.4 million. Governor Kanu spoke of “numerous problems” because of the neglect of the past. He spoke of a state where 74 per cent of revenue came from federal statutory shares, and only 26 per cent was derived internally, mainly through domestic borrowing.
In 1976, we were dealing with the existential challenge of basic survival. The government was struggling to award contracts for thirteen secondary schools. We were appropriating N1 million for a cement factory in Arochukwu and another N1 million for a brick factory in Okigwe. We were talking about a “Feed the Nation” campaign with N9.4 million for direct food production. Those were the days of our small beginnings, a time when N2 million was a massive investment for rural electrification. We owe a debt of gratitude to that generation of pioneers who rolled up their sleeves to ensure this state did not fail in its cradle.

To be fair, every administration that has presided over the affairs of Imo State since 1976 made one form of contribution or the other to the growth of the state. There is no doubt that in the last fifty years, we have recorded substantial progress in every sector: health, education, infrastructure, name it. So, I want to say a big thank you to all those who came before me. You all added some value to the Imo State project. Permit me to liken the story of the leaders of Imo State to the famous quotation of Julius Caesar, to wit: “I came, I saw, and I conquered.” After the battle of Zela in 47 BC, a victorious Julius Caesar was reported to have said that he came, he saw, and he conquered.

Borrowing from that, in respect of Imo State after fifty years, whilst I can confirm that all of us who have governed Imo State since 1976 came and that we all saw, I leave it to the verdict of history to determine who conquered or who did not.
By the grace of God, we have weathered the storm. We have grown substantially from where Governor Kanu managed a budget of N259 million to your government today that has a “Budget of Economic Breakthrough” totalling One Trillion, Four Hundred and Thirty-Nine Billion Naira. Beyond the leap in numbers, it is a quantum leap in ambition.

At this juncture, permit me to pay special tribute to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose audacious reforms have fundamentally transformed the fiscal landscape of our federation. It is his bold leadership that has made it possible for states to achieve the kind of quantum leap in financial resources upon which we can write home a good report on our 50-year sojourn. It is his vision that has empowered us to dare to dream big: to dream of energy sovereignty, to dream of a trillion-dollar economy in the next quarter of a century. The reforms may be difficult, but they are necessary. The results are already evident. Nigeria, and indeed Imo State, is proud to call you our President. Thank you, Mr. President.

Consider our internal revenue. In 1976, the state’s internally derived revenue stood at N26.6 million. Last year, through disciplined reforms and the digitisation of our systems, our Internally Generated Revenue reached an unprecedented N43 billion, the highest in our history. In absolute terms, we have grown our internal capacity more than 1,600-fold. More importantly, we have built the administrative and technological infrastructure to sustain and expand this growth, moving from being a state that simply spends a budget to one that actively builds an economic foundation for the future.

In 1976, the government was just awarding contracts for its first urban roads. Today, we have delivered over 130 solid roads in less than six years under this administration, including the iconic 46km Owerri-Umuahia Dual Carriageway, the Assumpta Flyover, and the dualisation of the Owerri-Orlu and Owerri-Okigwe roads. We have transformed the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport into a facility capable of direct international flights, a feat that seemed impossible fifty years ago.

From N24.5 million budgeted for health in 1976, when primary and secondary health care was a luxury and tertiary care was beyond the reach of most, we now have a comprehensive health insurance scheme. Our mothers deliver, and the government pays. We cover the health premiums for our pregnant women, our pensioners, and our civil servants, with subsidised provision for 2.7 million Imo people.

Today, we boast state-of-the-art general hospitals, a robust tertiary health sector, four NUC-approved universities, and a civil service that is not only being migrated to a paperless, digital era but also proudly enjoys the highest minimum wage and motivation in the federation.

Recall that in 1976, N2 million was earmarked for rural electrification, a sum that reflected both the modesty of our resources and the magnitude of our darkness. Just yesterday, we commissioned the first phase of the Orashi Power Project, which now supplies stable electricity to parts of Owerri. This means that Imo has officially begun its exit from the generator economy. The dream of our founders has not only been realised; it has been surpassed.

Yet our foresight extends beyond the immediate. The 25-year strategic plan we set in motion last year is a clear statement of our statesmanship and resolve. It is a roadmap designed to secure a trillion-dollar economy for Imo, positioning this state 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.

This is a declaration of our intent. Our future wealth will not come from the ground, but from the minds of our people. Through our “Skill-Up Imo” programme, we have already trained over 65,000 youths in AI, Robotics, and Coding. By the time we reach our 75th anniversary, these digital natives will have turned the Eastern Heartland into a global tech corridor. This is the economic breakthrough we promised, and this is the legacy we are securing for our children.

But let me speak about the next fifty years. As we celebrate this golden jubilee, we must also plant the seeds for our centenary. 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. Imo must be a state where every child, regardless of origin, has access to world-class education and healthcare. A state where our infrastructure, roads, airports, and digital networks connect us seamlessly to global markets. A state where political leadership is measured by transformation and not by tenure. This is the Imo we are building, brick by digital brick, for the generations yet unborn.

This past week has been a magnificent display of what it means to be from Imo. We designed these celebrations to engage the three pillars of our humanity: our hearts, our heads, and our hands.

We engaged our hearts when we began with our solemn Thanksgiving Service. We recognised that without the grace of the Almighty, our labour is in vain. We surrendered our past and our future to the Creator.

We engaged our heads through the high-stakes Imo at 50 Quiz Competition.

We engaged our hands during our cultural night and the sports fiesta. We celebrated our stars, our physical resilience, and the creative industry that makes us the heartbeat of Nollywood.

Today, we bring these celebrations to a glorious climax. It is my joy to recognise the winners of our Quiz Competition. Your brilliance is the insurance policy for our state’s future.

Furthermore, we shall confer the high honours of this Jubilee upon our sons, daughters, and friends of Imo State. These are men and women who, through exceptional service, have proved themselves worthy of this historic recognition. Dear friends of Imo from across Nigeria who are being honoured today: you are now part of our story, and our gates are forever open to you. But let me address a concern. Considering the number of people who have served Imo State, it was a very difficult task to arrive at a shortlist. The truth is that not all who are qualified can be recognised at the same time. However, the benchmark was that all persons who have occupied the office of governor must be recognised because they have had the rare privilege of occupying that exalted position. Therefore, if you did not make the list this time, rest assured that your moment will come. The Imo Star Honours is backed by law, and will be bestowed on deserving Imo people and friends every decade henceforth.

To conclude this historic celebration, it is now my distinct pleasure to unveil the Imo at 50 Compendium. This volume is the full, unvarnished story of Imo from creation to the present. It is the only document that contains all the information about our people, our data, and our milestones. It will be fully digitised for universal accessibility and will be domiciled in the Imo Hall of Fame, which we will build as a permanent exhibit of our journey.

As we lower the curtain on this golden jubilee, let us do so with our heads held high. We have moved from the valley of despair we found ourselves in years ago to the mountaintop of prosperity. We have celebrated our past. We are consolidating our present. And together, we are securing a trillion-dollar future.

As George Orwell said, “at 50 everyone has the face he deserves.” I agree with him because at 50 Imo State truly has the face it deserves. That face is the face of shared prosperity, anchored on our 3R Mantra of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Recovery. It is a face that is propelled by a passionate zeal to secure an industrialised Imo State driven by a digital revolution and energy sovereignty. It is a face that is determined to be a major player in the unfolding global Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is a face that is confidently looking up to a trillion-dollar economy for Imo State. That is the face my administration is bequeathing as an enduring legacy to the next generation of Imo leaders and our people.

So let the word go forth from this ground today: the face of Imo at 50 is that of industrialisation, digitalisation, and energy sovereignty. It heralds a peaceful and prosperous era for the good of all our people and the glory of God.

God bless you all.
God bless our beloved Imo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

An Address By Governor Uzodimma at the grand finale of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Creation of Imo State held on Saturday, February 7th, 2026