Ilorin mosque plans N1.1bn 250-bed-space students’ hostel to boost IGR

The Ilorin Central Jumaat Mosque Committee on Saturday, announced plan to construct a 250-bed-space students hostel at the University of Ilorin, in Kwara.

The Ilorin Central Jumaat Committee, led by the chairman of the board of trustees, former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore, had over the years relied on donations from the wealthy sons and daughters of Ilorin Emirate, for the maintenance of the edifice.

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The committee said that the project, expected to cost N1.1 billion is conceived to boost the internally generated revenue drive of the mosque committee.

Presenting the progress report of the committee during its annual meeting in Ilorin, the secretary of the board of trustees, Alhaji Shehu AbdulGafar said that, “already, letter of intent (on the 250 bed- space students hostel) has been submitted to the university. 3D plan of the hostel is displayed in the programme for the 2025 BoT/ stakeholders meeting”.

AbdulGafar also said that the committee would expend N100 million on procurement of rugs for the main hall of the mosque.

“Our mosque, is no doubt, one of the most beautiful places of religion in Nigeria and beyond. We, therefore, need to expend resources towards giving it proper maintenance for it to maintain its alluring admiration.

“However, since the mosque has neither any form of investment nor steady source of income, this gathering has become a necessity for compatriots not only to donate and make pledges but also to get enabling information on the state of the mosque

“May I say that due to the growing inflation, the cost of maintaining the edifice is on the increase. The amount needed for the monthly recurrent expenditure is N5.5milliom”.

AbdulGafar also said that epileptic power supply remains a great challenge, coupled with hyper bill of over N1m monthly for the operation and maintenance of the mosque.