By Stephen Oladele
Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has inaugurated the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq Housing Estate meant to ease accommodation problem in the state
The estate with its site at a place known as “Morire City” in the south senatorial district of the state
includes 210 units of two-bedroom terrace apartments, 200 units of three-bedroom and 54 units of four-bedroom terrace duplexes.
The project was embarked upon through a partnership arrangement between the state government and a developer company, ISHI Homes Limited.
The governor while stating that there is housing deficit in the state and country at large said the challenge of addressing the deficit is daunting.
Abdulrazaq who was represented at the occasion by the state Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Segun Ogunsola, commended the ISHI Homes Limited for partnering with the government to build the estate.
“Dear Kwarans, housing is not a luxury. Basic housing is a fundamental human need and a cornerstone of dignity, security, and family stability. Yet, across Nigeria and indeed in Kwara State, the challenge of addressing housing deficit is daunting,”
“This administration believes that in adequacy of proper shelter for Nigerians is not merely a problem of not building enough
houses. Indeed, several studies have attributed the housing
deficit in Nigeria to a complex mix of causes, key amongst them
being high cost and rising cost of building materials, weak finance,
difficult land systems, infrastructure gaps, and institutional limitations,
amongst others.
“On behalf of the people of Kwara, I thank the management of ISHI
Homes Limited for this partnership and for choosing Kwara State
as the location for this important development,” the governor stated.
Abdulrazaq who said his administration has made enormous contributions to mass housing development in the state applauded the developer for recognising the contributions
“The administration has consistently placed housing development high on its agenda. The government recognises access to decent and affordable housing as essential to the wellbeing of the people.
“The State Government has also been in active collaboration with
institutional partners including the Federal Ministry of Housing
with a view to increasing housing stock in the State.
“Recently, we acquired a housing estate with over 130 flats at
Ogbondoroko in Asa LGA of the State. Government has approved
that the estate be onboarded onto the administration’s social
support scheme,” he stated.
The governor said the commitment was reflected in the development of the Kwara Smart City and other mass housing initiatives across the state.
He disclosed that his reforms in land administration have reduced the processing time for Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) from 180 days to 35 days.
He said the improved turnaround time demonstrated the administration’s commitment to make land administration more transparent, efficient and investor-friendly.
In his own address at the occasion, the Chief Executive Officer of ISHI Homes, Olayinka Ilufoye, said the project aims to democratise home ownership and making decent and affordable housing accessible to the people of Kwara South Senatorial District.
Ilufoye said the estate was meant for civil servants, traders and other Nigerians who can access it through the National Housing Fund (NHF).
“The name AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq Morire, which translates to ‘I have seen goodness’, is a deliberate expression of our faith, hope and expectation.
“We believe this estate will become a testimony of prosperity, progress and abundance in Kwara South,” he said.
Ilufoye pledged that the company would remain committed to transparency, accountability, quality construction and timely delivery.
The event had in attendance Deputy Speaker Kwara State House of Assembly Hon. Ojo Olayiwola Oyebode; Kwara State APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Hon. Seun Ogunniyi Adato; Member representing Essa/Shawo/Igboidun Constituency of Offa LGA in the House of Assembly Hon. Abdulwaheed Gbenga Yusuf, State Chairman of APC Prince Sunday Fagbemi; Chief Imam of Offa Sheikh Muhyideen Salman Hussein; Executive Chairman of Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS) Alhaji Sulyman Abdulkareem; APC candidate for the Ojomu/Balogun Constituency Hon. Giwa Musemil Kehinde, among others.
Also speaking, KWGIS Chairman, Abdulkareem said the state government has consistently placed housing development high on its development agenda.
He commended the state government for ensuring access to land, facilitating the prompt issuance of titles and certificates of occupancy.
Abdulkareem said that by providing timely approval for mortgage transactions, the governor is creating the conditions necessary for housing development to thrive in Kwara.
