Kwara govt pays N569m compensation for Smart City land acquisition

The Kwara State Government, on Tuesday, presented over N569 million in cheques to members of the community as the first phase of compensation for the 19,300 hectares of land acquired for the state’s Smart City project.

Speaking during the cheque presentation in Ilorin on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Kwara State Geographic Information Services (KwGIS), ESV Suleiman Babatunde, said the Smart City project, as conceived by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq two years ago, aimed to bring development to all nooks and crannies of the state.

The affected communities for the project include Alalubosa, Akodudu, Ajanaku, Ologede, Isamu, among others.

Babatunde said the first phase of the project, which starts around Salem Farm in the Oke Ose/Alalubosa communities in Ilorin East Local Government Area, is meant to accommodate key legacy projects such as the Kwara State University of Education, the Renewed Hope Federal Government Mass Housing Project, and the relocation of the GRA Flower Garden, among others.

The KwGIS boss commended the host communities and all those affected for their dedication and cooperation towards achieving the landmark project, despite the initial hitches.

“We appreciate your positive criticisms in the course of the acquisition processes. To this end, I wish to reiterate His Excellency’s resolve to incorporate existing major communities into the scheme while protecting the historic and cultural heritage of the host communities.

“On this note, I want to implore the affected communities being compensated today to judiciously use the funds for the overall benefit of their entire communities and ensure that everyone entitled is well carried along.”

Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Dr Segun Ogunsola, said population increase has come to stay, with Kwara State being no exception, and thus there is a need to meet infrastructural and housing demands through the Smart City project.

“It is important for us to meet infrastructural and housing needs vis-à-vis the trend of population growth. And the Kwara Smart City is an answered question to this, based on the fact that we now have 19,300 hectares that are going to be properly planned. And what do I mean? Residential areas, recreational areas, industrial areas, and lots of other infrastructural facilities that support human livelihood, based on the three pillars of sustainability.”

Ogunsola, who commended the state government on stakeholder engagement as part of global practice, said there must be contributions from host communities in order to work as a team.

“And for those who are being compensated today, they will be the first communities to experience infrastructural extension to their neighbourhoods. And mind you, we are not neglecting them.

“We are incorporating them into the development. And it is also based on global practice. They are also team players in this new project.

“Many infrastructural developments will be extended to these new areas. The new University of Education, the Renewed Hope Housing Project, among other facilities, will be situated in the Smart City.

“Recreational activities, such as recreational spaces, as earlier explained, will also be situated there. So, it is a welcome development. And the Kwara State Government is setting the pace for all the cities in Nigeria on how urban development and practice should be undertaken.”

Also speaking, a member of the Alalubosa community, one of the communities affected, Dr Babatunde Saka, expressed appreciation for the payment of compensation, saying an agreement had been reached with the state government to provide employment opportunities and to engage members of the host communities in the development projects.

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