Kwara State Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has said that preliminary works will begin next year on the 18,000-hectare Ilorin Smart City Satellite Town that the administration has designed for the expansion of the capital city.
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 Ilorin Emirate Descendants Prograssive Union (IEDPU) held in Ilorin, the Governor said the capital city deserves constant infrastructural upgrade, maintenance, and expansion, following its positions in the state and central Nigeria — just as he is making efforts to expand infrastructure in other parts of the state.
He said, “Next year, we plan to commence preliminary works on the Ilorin Smart City Satellite Town, which should cover an area of 18,000 hectares
“This is a beautiful adaptation from the Ilorin City Masterplan that I had previously discussed in this gathering two years ago.
“I therefore invite you to support this historic milestone in the socioeconomic and physical evolution of Ilorin and Kwara State as a whole. It will usher in immeasurable growth, huge investments in real estate, and the opportunities that come with building a new city.”
The Governor congratulated the Emir, IEDPU, and sons and daughters of Ilorin on another impressive outing this year, 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 Allaah.
“Other phases will be for Kwara South and Kwara North. I thank the IEDPU and other stakeholders for their contributions to it.
“Your Royal Highness, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, not only does Ilorin constantly need infrastructural upgrade, maintenance, and expansion because of its positions in our state and central Nigeria, 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.”
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 announced a personal donation of N25 million to support the IEDPU’s skill acquisition centre and the Central Mosque.
Also speaking at the event, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, congratulated the IEDPU and all sons and daughters of the Emirate for the successful host, appealing to them 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.
National President of IEDPU, Alhaji Aliyu Otta Uthman, for his part, commended Governor 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.
“As a community, we recognise the giant strides recorded by the current administration in the state, particularly in the areas of provision of qualified personnel and infrastructures as well as renovation of some existing secondary schools into befitting standards,” he said.
The President praised the foresight of the government on the proposed Kwara State University of Education and appealed that the institution be located within Ilorin.
Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
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