Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara says preliminary works will begin in 2024 on the 18,000-hectare Ilorin Smart City Satellite Town that the administration has designed for the expansion of the capital city.
AbdulRazaq explained the Ilorin Smart City Satellite Town is an offshoot of the Ilorin City Master Plan, the second of such blueprint for urban planning since the state was created in 1967.
Speaking at the 58th Annual National Conference of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Prograssive Union (IEDPU), the governor said the capital city deserved constant infrastructural upgrade, maintenance and expansion, following its positions in the state and central Nigeria.
“The upgrade will usher in immeasurable growth, huge investments in real estate and the opportunities that come with building a new city,” he said.
The governor congratulated the Emir of llorin, Alhaji lbrahim Sulu-Gambari, IEDPU, sons and daughters of Ilorin on another impressive outing in 2023, praying Allah to grant the Emirate many more successes in the coming years and to make the state a positive reference point in harmony, peace and prosperity.
“Our gathering here serves to chat for this great emirate a new agenda of development, unity, brotherhood and general wellbeing of our people.
“I am excited that His Royal Highness and indeed the IEDPU have remained reliable partners for inclusive growth, continuous improvement in the living standards of the people, and steady evolution of Ilorin into a mega city,” he stated.
“The Ilorin City Master Plan is the second comprehensive document since the 1970s that outlines how the capital city should be planned.
“But it is just the first phase of the master plans we are bequeathing to the state, In-shaa Allah. Other phases will be for Kwara South and Kwara North.
“I thank the IEDPU and other stakeholders for their contributions to it.
“The reality is that the capital city is at the risk of becoming a slum if nothing is done to give it a befitting expansion that improves its standing and makes it a 21st century city on a sustainable basis,” he added.
The governor appreciated the people of the Emirate for their unflinching support for the administration in the last four years, especially during the last general election.
AbdulRazaq later announced a personal donation of N25 million to support the IEDPU’s skills acquisition centre and the ongoing construction of Central Mosque.
The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, congratulated the IEDPU and all sons and daughters of the Emirate for the successful host.
He appealed to the IEDPU members to continue to love one another and work for sustainable peace, unity and progress of the Emirate.
He lauded the governor for his remarkable achievements in the state and his support for the Emirate, including his support for the ongoing construction of skills acquisition centre of the union.
The National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Aliyu Uthman, also commended AbdulRazaq for his laudable projects in the state, particularly the recent inauguration of the Education Trust Fund, describing it as a step in the right direction.
The Chairman of the occasion, Justice ldrees Haroon, acknowledged the tireless efforts of the IEDPU in fostering unity and progress of the Emirate over the years.
He advocated the establishment of the Ilorin Emirate Elders’ Forum, comprising highly respected individuals that would be assisting the Emir and his chiefs as well as IEDPU in promoting peace, development and unity in the community.
The Guest Lecturer at the event and the Grand Khadi of the state Sharia Court of Appeal, Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen, admonished all sons and daughters of the Emirate to continue to exist in peace and unity, cautioning clerics against teachings or acts that can undermine peace and unity of the state.
He described Sheikh Alimi as a great reformer and hailed the traditional ruler, his descendant, for his uncommon love and concern for sustainable peace and cohesion of the city.
