Diri Unveils Bayelsa At 30 Anniversary Logo

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has unveiled the official logo for the 30th anniversary of the state's creation, with the theme, "Bayelsa @30: Celebrating Legacies."

Diri unveiled the logo on Wednesday during the 197th State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa, alongside the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Ebiuwou Koku Obiyai.

The governor commended the Ministry of Information, Orientation and Strategy for giving young Bayelsans the opportunity to participate in the logo design competition.

Diri said the initiative demonstrated the importance of involving citizens in government processes and urged young people in the state to remain creative and develop their scientific and technical skills as the use of artificial intelligence expands.

The governor also questioned the exclusion of AI-generated entries from the competition, saying some of the submissions could have been considered based on their creativity.

He apologised to participants whose AI-generated designs were disqualified, saying Bayelsa was moving towards the AI era.

The commissioner, while presenting the five finalists to the governor and members of the State Executive Council, said the winning logo represented three decades of resilience, culture, oil and gas, aquatic heritage and the Ijaw identity.

According to her, the ministry received 465 entries during the 10-day submission period, with more than 350 identified as AI-generated.

Godwill Ayibakepre Waribugo won the competition with a prize of N3 million. Four other finalists, Prosper Jerome, Daniel Youdeowei, Ibo Tamarapreye and Success Azibapu Eligha, each received N150,000 consolation prizes.

Bayelsa State was created on October 1, 1996, by the then Head of State, General Sani Abacha. The state will mark 30 years of its creation on October 1, 2026.