The Ondo State Government will stage a state carnival featuring cultural displays and performances as the main highlight of activities lined up to mark the 50th anniversary.
The carnival will take place on February 3, 2026, at the Ondo State Sports Stadium in Akure, after a State Broadcast by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, according to a statement posted on the state government’s X handle on Monday and obtained by Nigeria Startup News.
Ondo State was created on February 3, 1976, from the defunct Western Region of Nigeria, with Akure as its administrative capital.
The statement said the golden jubilee programme was designed to combine reflection, thanksgiving, intellectual discourse and cultural celebration, in line with Governor Aiyedatiwa’s vision for the state’s future.
The celebrations are being coordinated by a planning committee chaired by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti.
A major feature of the programme is a public lecture themed “Ondo State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” scheduled for Monday, February 2, 2026, at The Dome, Akure.
“The lecture will be delivered by Prof Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, and chaired by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, with Mrs Olu Verheijen, Special Adviser to the President on Energy, also speaking,” the statement said.
It added that activities would begin with a World Press Conference on January 29, 2026, followed by a Jumat Service on January 30 and a Thanksgiving Service on February 1.
The celebrations will culminate in a gala and award night at The Dome, Akure, where distinguished sons and daughters of Ondo State will be honoured.
The state government invited residents, indigenes at home and in the diaspora, as well as friends of Ondo State, to participate in the golden jubilee celebrations.
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