Bayelsa State has concluded preparations for the celebration of its 30th anniversary, with Governor Douye Diri unveiling the official anniversary logo and theme, “Bayelsa @30: Celebrating Legacies.”
The winning logo was designed by Godwill Ayibakepre Waribugo, who received a cash prize of N3 million. Four other finalists, Prosper Jerome, Daniel Youdeowei, Ibo Tamarapreye and Success Azibapu Eligha, each received consolation prizes of N150,000.
Bayelsa, the only predominantly homogeneous Ijaw state in Nigeria, was created on October 1, 1996, by the then Head of State, the late General Sani Abacha. The state has eight local government areas, making it one of the states with the fewest local government areas in the country.
Governor Diri unveiled the anniversary logo during the 197th State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa. He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai.
The governor commended the ministry for providing young Bayelsans with an opportunity to participate in the logo design competition, describing the initiative as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to participatory governance.
Diri urged young people in the state to remain creative and industrious while developing their scientific and technical skills, particularly as the world increasingly embraces artificial intelligence.
The governor said the participation of citizens in government processes should extend beyond budgeting, noting that government could benefit from the creativity and expertise of people across different sectors.
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He also praised the ingenuity of Bayelsa youths, insisting that they are productive and capable of contributing meaningfully to the development of the state.
On the issue of artificial intelligence, Diri questioned the decision to disqualify entries generated with AI, arguing that the technology is already an important part of the modern world.
He said his administration was committed to positioning Bayelsa to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the emerging AI era and apologised to contestants whose AI-generated designs were disqualified.
Earlier, Commissioner Koku-Obiyai presented the five finalists in the logo competition to the governor and members of the State Executive Council.
She explained that the winning logo was designed to represent three decades of resilience, Bayelsa’s culture, its oil and gas heritage, aquatic identity and the indomitable spirit of the Ijaw people.
According to the commissioner, the competition was open for 10 days and attracted 465 entries, with more than 350 designs generated using artificial intelligence.
After the screening process, five designs were selected as finalists, with Waribugo’s entry emerging as the overall winner and earning the N3 million grand prize.
Prosper Jerome, Daniel Youdeowei, Ibo Tamarapreye and Success Azibapu Eligha received N150,000 each as consolation prizes.
The anniversary celebration is expected to highlight Bayelsa State’s journey over the past three decades, while showcasing its cultural heritage, achievements, and aspirations for the future.
