The Ilorin Central Juma’at Mosque has secured two historic projects that will shape its long-term sustainability and ease the burden of maintenance for years to come.
At a press conference on Sunday, Alhaji Shehu Abdulgafar, OON, secretary of the mosque’s Board of Trustees and Danmadami of Ilorin, confirmed that Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has pledged to build and donate a 250-bed ultramodern hostel at the University of Ilorin.
The project, valued at ₦1.1 billion, is structured to generate annual rental income for the mosque’s upkeep. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the university grants the mosque ownership and management of the facility for 21 years before it reverts to the institution.
In addition, Dangote has already started fulfilling his promise of a ₦5 million monthly donation to support the mosque’s maintenance until the hostel is completed. “On behalf of the Emir and the people of Ilorin Emirate, we sincerely thank Alhaji Dangote for this historic intervention that will rescue the mosque from financial challenges for the next two decades,” Abdulgafar said.
In a similar breakthrough, Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, facilitated the installation of a multimillion-naira ultramodern solar-powered mini-grid system at the mosque. The system, which also powers parts of the Emir’s palace, is expected to slash electricity costs and deliver uninterrupted power to the mosque for the first time in its history.
LensNews gathered that both projects align with the vision of the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, for a self-sustaining and world-class central mosque that doubles as a religious and cultural landmark.
Tributes were also paid to past and present leaders who contributed to the mosque’s development, including the late Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki, former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, and current Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Alhaji Abdulgafar used the occasion to rally support from indigenes and friends of Ilorin, stressing that maintenance must remain a shared responsibility. “The Ilorin Central Mosque belongs to all of us; we must preserve it for ourselves and future generations,” he declared.
