• Hails FG, host communities for huge investment, patience

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday visited the under-construction Bode Saadu/Kaiama/Kosubosu road project, calling it a breakthrough for the state and Nigeria.

Valued at over N350bn, the Governor said the road will open up Nigeria’s economy with other West African countries such as the Republic of Benin and strengthen the protocols on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

AbdulRazaq thanked the Federal Government and BUA Group for embarking on the project and commended the affected communities for their patience.

“This is a breakthrough. It is a huge success for Nigeria. Let me first thank the federal government for this. I also thank all the communities concerned for their patience and constructive advocacy,” the Governor told reporters as he inspected the project.

“We started this project in 2020. We went ahead to design the road and we saw that we couldn’t afford it. So, we engaged the federal government. This will cost more than N350bn and over N45bn have been paid. That’s why I said it’s huge.

“From here, you can be in the Republic of Benin in less than three hours after the road is completed. It is going to open up Nigeria’s economy with the Republic of Benin, to ECOWAS sub-region, especially with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.”

The Governor drove some distance on the road in the company of the Supervisory Commissioner for Works Hon Abdulquawiy Olododo.

Governor AbdulRazaq said the road project will lessen travel time from Kwara to Niger and Oyo states, adding that the construction period is estimated to last three (3) years.

“This is not the only road we facilitated. We also have Lafiagi-Bacita road, Eyenkorin to Offa and down to Osun state,” he said.

“It is also going to open up several agrarian communities. Hitherto, we used to access two of our local government areas (Kaiama and Baruten) through Niger and Oyo States. This will no longer be the case. We are going to link the two local government areas directly.

“The work has started. We couldn’t access it before. We are at kilometre nine (9) now, and about 13 kilometres of earthwork are being done already.”

The Governor commended the federal government for the choice of BUA Group as the contractor, describing the firm as serious and competent.

BUA Group is building a multimillion-dollar sugar refinery in Kwara, and this road extends to Lafiagi where the refinery will be, he said.

“We are glad that the federal government is using BUA. BUA is very well-known to us in Kwara as a serious company. This is a set of companies we want to deal with, and we are happy that the federal government is working with BUA,” he added.

“From the equipment we have seen here, it shows that we are dealing with a very serious and competent company.

“A lot of Kwarans do not know the amount of work being done on-site. It is because we just want to make sure that the work is being done before we announce it.”

Site Engineer, Yang Chang, who is representing BUA construction company, assured the people of the state that all the road projects will be completed within three years and according to the specifications.

The road projects under the arrangement are Bode Saadu-Kaiama-Kosubosu; Bacita-Shonga-Lafiagi; Eiyenkorin-Afon-Offa-Odo Ottin; and Okuta-Bukuro Road, which connects to the Benin Republic.

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

February 8, 2024

• Gov meets labour, transport/market unions, artisans, students’ leaders

• Kwara to distribute grains, release more buses

• more support on the way: Gov

• Labour commends Gov’s efforts, seeks improved welfare for workers

• Transport unions, artisans urge support for govt, call for calm

• Investment on Kwara Hotel in order: TUC chief

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday in Ilorin, the state capital, briefed different segments of the state on developments in the country, including efforts of the government to ease things for the people.

Held in different sessions, the hours-long engagements involved labour union chiefs, transport sector leaders, artisans, leadership of the market unions, and students drawn from varying backgrounds in the state.

Different federal government committees are working round the clock to plug the spiraling fall in the value of the naira and its impacts on consumer goods, while different measures are taken to ease the effects on the public, the Governor said.

He said the government is immediately working to force down the cost of key staple foods by releasing grains from the strategic reserve and distributing same to the people at intervals.

He said the devaluation of the naira meant that merchants from neighbouring countries are mopping up grains from Nigeria because it is far cheaper to buy from the country and then resell at higher prices in their own countries, especially in the West African subregion.

Acknowledging the spike in inflation, the Governor urged the people to be patient and that the government’s investments in gas-powered vehicles will soon manifest when the vehicles are eventually distributed in the coming months, including (first) to the University of Ilorin campus and later to the other campuses.

He also commended the Kwara State University for its initiative on gas-powered vehicles, which he said the government will continue to encourage.

He said the state government will soon deploy more vehicles to different parts of the state to support people’s movement, especially students who come from different homes, while grains will soon be distributed to the people as a form of support.

“You will observe that due to the removal of fuel subsidy and the step taken on foreign exchange by the Federal government, there is inflation in the country. The government is working hard to address the resultant challenges,” he said at each of the meetings with the stakeholders.

“Our major problem is foreign exchange. We are getting US dollars from sales of crude oil, whereas we have low sales at the moment. We used to experience pipeline vandalism. But, since the assumption of Tinubu’s government, production of oil has increased. Not only that, the government realised recently that the crude oil we are, and will be, getting in the next six months or so had been sold in advance. So, they don’t get value for whatever they are selling now. But gradually, things will change, and we need your support to understand us.

“The government has started ordering gas-powered vehicles and is making serious efforts to stabilise the Naira. But more importantly now is how to address the hike of food prices. We held a meeting this afternoon. I joined them through zoom, and it is a continuation of previous meetings. The government is launching programmes to checkmate the rising food prices.”

He said the government is not taking the issue of insecurity lightly, citing the immediate arrest of abductors in Ekiti LG of the state by the combined security agencies.

AbdulRazaq appreciated the labour movement and every segment of the state for their continued understanding and dialogue, as the government strives to meet their demands in phases.

“Our main challenge now is the new minimum wage. Now that a tripartite committee has been set up at the federal level, we are looking forward to setting up our own at the state level basically to be prepared for what is going on at the federal level,” he said.

State Chairman for the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Joseph Tunde Meshach, NLC Chairman Comrade Saheed Olayinka, and NUT representative, in their separate remarks, commended the Governor for making the welfare of workers a priority, and for the ongoing efforts to relieve the pains from fuel subsidy removal.

Meshach lauded the government’s decision to upgrade Kwara Hotel to a standard that it deserves, saying the facility occupies a strategic place and deserves a top-notch upgrade the government is giving it.

“On the issue of Kwara Hotel workers, we thank Your Excellency very much for paying their (workers’) salary as and when due. We also want to congratulate you on the work being done on (Kwara Hotel) in order to give us a more befitting one,” the TUC Chairman said, acknowledging the open-door policy of the administration with the labour movement.

Olayinka, for his part, said AbdulRazaq was the the first Governor to introduce palliative as a means of reducing the burden affecting the common man, especially the fixed income earners, saying such was commendable.

The labour leaders said they want more to be done for the workers, nonetheless.

Other union and students’ leaders who attended the other sessions included the state Chairman for Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji AbdulRazaq Ariwoola; and state Chairman Artisan Congress, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina; President National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Kwara State chapter, Comrade Issa Abdulgafar; President, National Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS), Comrade Abdulwahab Habibullahi Are. They all acknowledged the government’s constant support to their groups, pledging the support of their members in this trying time.

President National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Kwara State chapter, Comrade Issa Abdulgafar, appreciated the Governor for his contributions to the students’ constituency and the huge investments to reposition the education sector.

NAKSS leader Comrade Abdulwahab Habibullahi Are thanked the Governor for increasing their bursary award from N5,000 to N10,000 and the constant payment of

the money as well as other support for the students.

• Says LG elections to be held soon

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday signed the 2024 Appropriation Bill into law, calling it another bold step to expand infrastructure and grow the economic base of the state on a sustainable basis.

The Governor also assented to the Local Government Amendment Bill, saying: “We are looking forward to holding the local government elections very shortly.”

He thanked the House for its legislative roles on the Local Government Elections bill, which he noted now paves the way for the conduct of the elections.

The Governor, meanwhile, said the 61 per cent that the administration has budgeted for Capital Expenditure was a deliberate move to scale up infrastructural development across the state.

“Today, we are taking another bold step in the annals of our state. We commend the Assembly for doing a good job with the budget and for taking their time and making sure it is SABER (State Action on Business Enabling Reforms)- compliant,” the Governor said late Friday in Ilorin.

“You did very well before when we were committed to SFTAS (State Fiscal Transparency Accountability and Sustainability). Our being SFTAS compliant has been very beneficial to the state as it ensured transparency in the way we do things.

“This is a budget with 61 per cent for capital expenditure (CAPEX) and 39 per cent for recurrent. 61% for CAPEX shows that Kwara does not want to continue as just a civil service state with no strong industrial base. We want to change how we do things, and we want to ensure that we put a lot of effort into infrastructure in the state. Moving the state forward is paramount to us.

“We have been able to reduce the debt of the state through negotiation with the federal government, and it will soon be reflected in the DMO chart, where you will see that the debt profile has drastically gone down.”

The budget signing was attended by the Speaker Kwara House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Yakubu Salihu Danladi; House Leader Oba Abdulkadir Magaji; Chairman House Committee on Finance and Appropriation Hon. Arinola Fatimoh Lawal; Chief of Staff to the Governor Prince Abdul Kadir Mahe; Senior Advisor and Counselor Sa’adu Salau; Attorney General of the state and Commissioner for Justice Senior Ibrahim Sulyman; Commissioner for Finance Dr Hawau Nuhu; Commissioner for Communications Bola Olukoju; and the Clerk of the House Alhaji Kareem Ahmed Olayiwola.

Danladi, for his part, commended Governor AbdulRazaq for being one of the first state governors to comply with the SABER template for the budget process, and for working so hard to reduce the debt profile of the state.

“By the grace of God, the Kwara State House of Assembly has engaged all the MDAs for budget defence and scrutiny, and we were able to meet up with the SABER standard, which is a new template after SFTAS has wound down in the first quarter of 2023,” he said.

“It is a new template being used by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and all the states and I am happy Kwara, being the state of the NGF Chairman, is one of the first states to key into the SABER template.

“This budget has touched all sectors, and I know Kwarans will benefit greatly from it.”

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

January 26, 2024

Kwara State Government has recently registered five (5) Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as part of its measures to acquire viable mining sites and make the state a major producer of solid minerals in Nigeria, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said on Wednesday.

He said each of the 16 local government areas of the state is blessed with abundant viable mineral resources and in commercial quantities, inviting investors to tap into the natural endowments.

The Governor was speaking in Ilorin at the 5th Annual Conference of the National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD), which draws delegates from across the 36 states of the Federation.

The Conference commenced on Monday and ended on Wednesday, with the theme: “Minerals and Metal: A Panacea for Economic Growth and Diversification”.

“We plan to establish a standard mineral market in the state, where all minerals mined from our State will first be registered here before they are transported to other places,” he said.

The Governor commended the choice of Kwara to host the council, hoping that resolutions reached at the end of the meeting will rev up development in the sector.

He thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the bold investments to diversify the economy.

“The need to diversify the economy and harness potentials in the solid mineral and other sectors cannot be overemphasized. The excessive reliance on oil has proven to be unhelpful for our country, and I’m glad we appear to have learnt our lessons,” he added.

“I appeal to the Honourable Ministers present, the DG MCO, DG NGSA to give us all necessary assistance to actualise our dream of becoming a major solid mineral producing state in the country.”

The event attracted participants from all walks of life, including the Minister of State for Mines and Steels Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari; federal parliamentarians; members of the Kwara State Executive Council; and professionals in the mining sector.

Minister of State for Mines ans Steels Development Uba Maigari said steel is the backbone of modern infrastructure and the foundation upon which other sectors thrive, adding that the industry is key for job creation, community empowerment, and diversification of the economy.

Despite the fact that the sector is facing hurdles ranging from aging infrastructure to an uncertain global market, the challenges are an invitation to innovate, collaborate, and think beyond the ordinary, Maigari said.

“That is why I am here today to call on all of you — miners, manufacturers, investors, policy makers, researchers, citizens and businessmen alike — to join hands in a national mission to revitalize our steel industry,” Maigari added.

“Let us use this gathering to not just share ideas but to commit to concrete actions and measurable outcomes. Let us leave Ilorin with the roadmap for Nigeria’s Steel industry that is the envy of Africa and a powerhouse for our nation’s economic transformation.”

He called on miners to always prioritise partnership with local communities and ensure that they benefit from resource extraction, saying the success of the sector intertwines with the well-being of the communities where mining takes place.

He thanked the Governor and the government for the logistics support and for their warm reception throughout their stay in the capital city.

State Commissioner for Solid Mineral Development Abdulqowiyu Olododo, for his part, said the state government is collaborating with security agencies to ensure the safety of investors within the Kwara borders.

“I use this opportunity to convey to our esteemed guests that we are wholeheartedly committed to the advancement of solid minerals, thereby harnessing the economic potentials of valuable minerals such as gold, tantalite, and lithium, which are abundant in our state,” he said, adding that a framework is in place to facilitate works in the state without encroaching upon the existing Federal Mining Act.

Alhaji Teslim Jimoh, a representative of Dangote Group, in his goodwill message, said security is key in the mining sector and charged the Federal government to improve on the safety of miners, thirty percent of whom, he noted, are foreigners.

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

January 17, 2024

•Mgt thanks Kwarans for keen interest, pledges excellent service delivery

Kwara State Garment Factory has shut the application portal recently opened to hire 300 production workers after it received 8,373 applications in less than 48 hours.

“We are impressed by this response, which shows that people are truly keen and excited to work with us. However, we are compelled to close the portal ahead of the earlier deadline because of the number of applications already received,” according to a statement by the management of the Factory.

“We received no less than 8,373 applications within the first 48 hours of opening the portal. That was impressive!

“We have therefore shut the portal to allow for thorough and professional screening of the applications already submitted.”

Management

January 17, 2024

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Monday joined other eminent Kwarans, heads of security agencies, and the Nigeria Legion to lay the wreath in honour of the fallen and serving men of the Armed Forces for their tremendous services to the country.

“The first and most important thing is to appreciate our Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have rendered (and still rendering) during the first and second world wars and internal security operations up till today,” the Governor told reporters in Ilorin at an event to celebrate the 2024 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

The Governor also thanked the security agencies for their excellent roles in special operations in some parts of the state.

“They hardly sleep at night in the barracks, bushes, and offices. We have to appreciate them, and we equally appreciate their families, their tremendous roles, and how they contribute generously to the efforts to rehabilitate some of them,” he added.

“In Kwara (in particular), we appreciate the Armed Forces. They are doing a yeoman’s job. We thank them for their services all over Nigeria to make the country safe and peaceful. Let us be united in Nigeria.”

Other dignitaries who also laid the wreath at the event included

the State Chief Judge Hon Justice Abiodun Adebara;

heads of security agencies; representative of the Speaker Kwara House of Assembly and House Leader Hon. Oba Magaji; representative of Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Tertiary Education Dr Mary Arinde; Commissioner for Social Development Hon. Kemi Afolashade; representative of the Emir of Ilorin Sheikh AbdulRahman Kelani; Chairman of the Nigeria Legion Kwara state branch, retired Brigadier General Abdulkadir Anigiobi; the Vice Chancellor University of Ilorin Prof. Wahab Egbewole; the Chief Medical Director University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) Prof Yusuf Abdullahi; and Hajia Ramat Sallaudeen, a widow of one of the fallen heroes.

Rafiu Ajakaye

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor

January 15, 2024

Kwara State Government wishes to restate its commitment to promote the welfare of workers and the people of the state. This assurance is in reaction to the press briefing of the labour unions who made demands for the implementation of some outstanding allowances and emolument.

This administration, despite being among the third lowest recipients of federal allocations, has fewer rivals in the country in terms of prompt payment of salary and general welfare of workers.

In the wake of and since the removal of subsidy by the Federal Government, the administration has committed additional N1,392,135,000.00 every month to payment of palliatives to the workers alone.

As things stand today at the state level, an average of 74.06% of federal allocation to the state goes into payment of salaries and allowances of workers alone. This does not include the cost of providing government services or any public emergency. At the local government level, between 80% and 95% of their monthly allocations go into paying workers’ salary alone.

This leaves just a pittance for the rest of the population and developmental projects. It is worse at the local government level. This often forces the government to resort to different financial strategies, including loans, to maintain or expand existing infrastructure and develop new ones to ensure socioeconomic growth and human capital development.

Regardless, the administration understands the critical roles that workers play in the implementation of projects, policies, and programmes of government, and will continue to pay attention to the welfare of workers in a sustainable way. To this end, the government is already doing a lot of reviews to gradually accommodate the demands.

From the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff to the Governor, and Office of the Head of Service, among others, the door of the government is always open to leadership of the labour unions for constructive engagement. The administration favours dialogue, mutual respect, collective bargaining, and commitment to sustainable economic growth over any other thing. Already, the Chief of Staff Alhaji Abdulkadir Mahe has been asked to initiate a new round of dialogue with the unions.

We therefore urge the labour unions to embrace dialogue and continue to reciprocate the goodwill of the government over the years in the over all interest of the taxpayers and the general public.

Mrs. Bola Olukoju

Hon. Commissioner for Communications.

The Kwara Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is undergoing rebranding and reorganisation. It has even infused its party leadership with young people. However, what we have seen from the party in recent times is anything but responsible opposition. From spreading fake, unfounded news on its official social media pages to relying on and amplifying unconfirmed insinuations to make public statements, the party is going lower and lower. It remains to be seen the rebranded image they are trying to create to Kwarans.

Kwara PDP took its irresponsibility further yesterday when its spokesperson released a statement on the federal government rice palliative being distributed to citizens through the federal lawmakers (senators and house of representatives members). While it enriches our democracy for opposition parties to demand accountability and ask questions, the essence becomes defeated when such is laced with mischief and misinformation.

I had to go through their statement time and again to be clear I am not mistaken. Kwara PDP in an official statement was apparently relying on some beer parlour discussions and allegations to say the federal lawmakers in Kwara State had diverted the FG rice palliative and sold it in a market in Abuja?! That’s most unfortunate for an opposition party that is supposed to take on the ruling government with facts and figures. But for Kwara PDP, it’s never going to change its poor strategies. The Kwara people have known them for outright lies, falsehood and mischief. And they are trying hard to make this stick further.

The irresponsibility of Kwara PDP was again betrayed by the fact that one of the lawmakers in question Hon. Ahmed Yinka Aluko had clarified in the heat of the matter that he was yet to get the FG rice palliative due to some logistics challenges from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Special Assistant on Social Media to the President, Dada Olusegun, would later confirm the same position that not all lawmakers have received the palliative. But Kwara PDP is bent on tarring the APC lawmakers with a dirty brush.

I think the joke is on them. They are only reminding the public of their own reality when they were in government. Was it not the elements in Kwara PDP that diverted SUBEB grant, earning our state a blacklist by the federal agency? We know the growth and development opportunities this indiscipline denied our basic education. They diverted that money and defended it shamelessly. To this day, the administration of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed is yet to explain to Kwarans what happened to the loan they took from a bank, part of which was earmarked as recapitalisation fund for Harmony Holdings Limited. This fund to the tune of N4 billion was never given to the company.

Kwara PDP owns the record of diverting public funds and good. It’s therefore understandable if they are suspecting others to be living in their reality. Do they think we have forgotten in a hurry the case of diversion of about N2bn SME funds involving officials of their government? Or their lawmakers who diverted constituency projects to feather their own nest? One of them is Razaq Atunwa who represented Ilorin West/Asa at the green chamber. He got a road project and allegedly diverted it to another constituency (Ilorin South) just for his own convenience. The road reportedly leads to his personal house.

Kwara PDP should apologise immediately to the people for its misleading insinuations on APC lawmakers. The party needs to learn civilised and informed opposition. Mischief and falsehood will lead it nowhere.

Meanwhile, this is another opportunity for the APC lawmakers in Kwara to prove their unchanging stance on accountability and transparency to the people. They should creditably distribute the palliative to their constituents upon receipt. Aides of Mr. President should also be strategic in managing public communication to ensure clarity and capture all details going forward.

Abdulganiy writes from Ilorin, the Kwara State capital

• Urges constructive engagement and support for the President’s reforms

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has congratulated the people of the state on the new year of the Gregorian calendar, urging them to work with the administration to promote sustainable development and a more fulfilling (new) year.

In a New Year message to the people of the state, the Governor commended Kwarans for always acting out the epithet of being a state of harmony which is a major selling point of Kwara State.

Assuring that the government will continue to deliver on its core mandate of ensuring the safety of lives and properties, maintaining law and order, and providing basic amenities and infrastructure within available resources, he called for more positive energy and constructive engagement of various agencies of government and representatives of the people for better service deliveries.

The Governor also called on Nigerians to support the government’s reforms, including the ones embarked upon by President Bola Tinubu, saying the objective is to build a more resilient economy that gives everyone a fair shot in life.

The Governor wishes Kwarans and Nigerians a more fulfilling New Year (2024), beseeches God to guide and protect the citizens, and asks everyone to be the ideal Nigerian or global citizen they would like to see or relate with in eve

ry space.

In 1867, a former US Secretary of State William Seward committed $7.2m of taxpayers’ money to seal a deal that bought Alaska from Russia, triggering a flurry of reactions that culminated in the media historically dubbing the development ‘Seward’s folly’ and calling it an outright waste of public resources.

Poor Seward would become a hero a few years after. In 1869, US netted a huge gold deposit in Alaska. A few years later, Alaska yielded a humongous oil find for the United States, making the $7.2m totally inconsequential. That speaks to vision — or luck?

Closer home, and more consequential for Kwara, a certain Sheikh Rashid Ibn Saeed el-Makhtoum laid the foundation for the greatness and beauty called Dubai. At the height of his investments in the desert city, he was repeatedly called out and derided in unprintable terms. People wondered if he had gone nut. “If you build it, they will come” was a quote erroneously attributed to him, even though the often wrongly quoted words fit perfectly into the dream that is now Dubai. el-Makhtoum built and also followed it up — thanks to his equally visionary successors who carried on his dreams to the admiration of the rest of the world.

Enter Kwara Hotel. Over the past few days, the iconic facility has grabbed news headlines as the state government announced a bold attempt to remodel and rebuild the 172-room Kwara hotel in the most comprehensive way ever since it was built in 1975 by the Brig-Gen David Bamigboye regime.

The step, as with all major government decisions, has split the commentariats down the middle. Outside of those who agree entirely with the government on account of their own belief that the administration is patriotic enough to make the right decision, three other schools have emerged: those who want it done, but are skeptical about the cost vis-a-vis the return on investment; those who feel Kwara does not need such a facility and the money should instead be spread on monthly salaries and allowances of workers or some other things; and those who feel the government should rebuild it but should give the job to another firm, Crystal Group of Companies, which they said had committed to fix the hotel for N3bn under a concessioning agreement that allows it to run the facility for some 15 years. To the latter, the government erred as two contracts now exist on the same project.

The differing opinions, a core pillar of democracy, go to show how much people follow government’s activities and programmes. It is welcome. But the argument about the concessioning is mostly incorrect and partisan. There are no two contracts on the project. While the state executive council did indeed approve a concessioning to Crystal, the approval was glaringly conditional upon the House of Assembly backing it. No legislative approval was communicated for the concession; hence, no contract was sealed. This is confirmed by the June 2, 2022 document of Harmony Holdings sent to the Crystal in the wake of the conditional approval by the council.

Besides, the Crystal’s N3bn arrangement was never a wholesale remodelling and renovation of the Kwara Hotel. It was a piecemeal, wing-by-wing, or incremental renovation deal, which then allows Crystal to also manage it for 15 years. The comparison of a piecemeal renovation with complete remodelling, upgrades, and reconstruction that replaces everything in the hotel, except the carcass, is far-fetched. No basis for it.

Next is the argument about due process and transparency. This argument — apologies to lawyers — is deemed ‘abandoned’ as it was not supported by any facts. Government twice advertised the job with all the requirements: first on August 18, 2023; and, again, on October 18, 2023, both in the printed versions of Nigerian Tribune and the Herald newspapers. Three firms applied and went through a competitive process, and one, Craneburg, was picked based on its capacity to fund and execute the huge project. Crystal did not apply. Neither did the Kwara PDP and its allies, who bellyache about which firm got the job. The government has a job to do, and it is its responsibility to ensure that only a firm deemed competent and financially viable is picked. In this job, the contractor brings the money — to be repaid in a structured way over a period of time. This saves everyone the burden of slow job delivery or perennial demand for variation where government directly funds a project.

Why didn’t this one go through the House like the botched process involving Crystal? That is because no concession is involved. All the contractor does is to rebuild and furnish Kwara Hotel to required five-star specifications and hand it over to the state for further decisions on its management.

With an increasingly busy airport and major tourism sites and potentials, a state as strategically positioned as Kwara should not be without first-class hospitality facilities. Having none stunts its socioeconomic growth and limits its potentials to host not just important events but to also harvest the opportunities that come with them.

The Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2023 attracted at least 35,000 delegates and 1,600 exhibitors from across 75 countries, with $43bn worth of trade and investment deals. Cairo, the city in its fourth stage of development, hosted it at its International Exhibition Centre where the first edition of the IATF had also taken place in 2018. Try to imagine the reverberating effects of 35,000 valued guests entering a city for seven days: hotel reservations, visits to the Egyptian mummies, the Pyramids, camel rides, the cruise on the Nile, and hundreds of thousands of gigs along different value chains. That is what comes with such a crowd. But Egypt intentionally created the infrastructure to accommodate high-valued crowd in the first place, including Presidents, Governors, and Ministers, regardless of its own challenges. Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation, said Zig Ziglar.

Tens of thousands of people visit Dubai’s Museum of the Future and other iconic facilities that make the city a tourist delight. That is billions of dollars in revenue. But Dubai did not start today. The dream that birthed one of the most visited places on earth started with a man a few decades ago. And he was criticised for wasting tax payers’ money. He was condemned for building castles in the air. Now we know better. el-Makhtoum is no more, but his dream has turned Dubai to the most visited place in the Middle East after Makkah, the birth place of Islam’s most celebrated Prophet.

Who says that this peaceful and serene Kwara, or its prized capital city, cannot place itself in a pole position for conferencing and resort? Let’s give Governor AbdulRazaq a chance as he re-engineers the Kwara economy towards enterprise, agribusiness, innovation, tourism and hospitality with projects such as garment factory, international conference centre, innovation hub, visual arts centre, sugar film factory, tax house, Shea butter factory, industrial park, special agroprocessing zone, among others.

The road to greatness is mostly paved with huge investments and great efforts — mostly scoffed at in the beginning, by opposition and those who may not see the vision from the start.

One more thing: why can’t the government channel the resources elsewhere, some have quipped. Rebuilding the Kwara Hotel and doing other developmental projects aren’t mutually exclusive. It is not a zero-sum game. On the day the government announced the Kwara Hotel project, it announced several road projects across the state and the establishment of the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital. Development is not a destination; it is an unending process.

N17bn ($14.4m), some critics said, appears a huge amount! But is it truly huge compared to the financial requirement of building a five-star hotel in an economy where a dollar equals N1,200? In 2018, five years ago when dollar was worth 200 naira, Transcorp Hotels budgeted N40bn ($32.8m) to upgrade its facilities. The Lagos Continental Hotel was built for a total sum of N99.6bn, or $81.1m. Recently, the Lagos Oriental Hotel was valued at N300bn ($250m). While the size and location of these facilities may vary, the point is that premium hospitality facilities like the soon-to-be-rebuilt Kwara Hotel never come cheap. Not here, not anywhere in the world. If you doubt this, check out how much went into building the Burj-al-Khalifa (N1.8trillion), Emirates Palace (N3.6tr), Wynn Palace (N5.04tr), or Abraj Al-Bait (N19.2tr). Yes, these are admittedly very exclusive facilities in choice corners of the world, but they have a long value chain extending to the poorest in their societies. Kwara Hotel, even if not exactly like the ones above, isn’t much different if we truly want it to stand out.

• Ajakaye is Chief Press Secretary to the Governor