Kwara government awards contract for construction of roads to popular waterfall, rural communities

The Kwara State government has approved a contract for the construction of the Phase I of the road to the Owu Fall, a popular tourism site in the state that it described as “the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120m above water level and cascading 330 feet down an escarpment.”

The state Commissioner for Communications, Bola Olukoju, disclosed this in a statement on the outcome of a meeting of the state executive council on Wednesday.

Mrs Olukoju said the construction of the road would be a major boost for tourism in not just Kwara but in Nigeria and the West Africa subregion.

According to the commissioner, the contract, covering 11 kilometres in the first phase, was awarded to Messrs FIK Contracting and Engineering Ltd at N3,998,838,427.50 for a completion period of 18 months.

“Placed alongside the government’s investment in tourism and conferencing facilities, the project offers a glimpse into how Kwara plans to become a major hub for recreation, tourism, and entertainment,” Mrs Olukoju said.

“The cabinet also approved rehabilitation works on the 20km-long Arandun Township Roundabout-Esie-Oro township road to Obtuse Tec Engineering and Construction Ltd at N3,821,594,765.63 for a completion period of 10 months.

“The council also approved the award of extensive works on the Ajase Ipo-Oke Iya road in Irepodun, spanning 12 kilometres, to Messrs Construction Products Nigeria Ltd at N2,256,879,187.50 for a period of eight months.

“The council had also approved construction of Osin-Laduba Road, which connects Ilorin West to Asa local government area in the central senatorial district.

“The cabinet also approved the construction of Oke Ogun community-Awolowo road in Ilorin South local government area, further easing travel time within the capital city.

“The council also approved the construction of Aboto Oja-Alata Road in Asa, rehabilitation of Omu-Aran Oko Road in Irepodun, and completion of the Idera-Alabe section of the long-spanning Ile District road that had begun from Owode Ofaro, opening up the areas for improved commercial activities and boosting security in the Ifelodun axis of the state.”

Mrs Olukoju said the meeting, chaired by Governor AbdulRazaq, approved the contracts following presentations by the Commissioner for Works and Transport, AbdulQuawiy Olododo.

She said rehabilitation works were meanwhile underway on the Ahmadu Bello Way, which connects the capital city centre to different government ministries, major economic facilities, state police command, state headquarters of the State Security Service, Government House, and many other important institutions in the state.

The council also approved rehabilitation and upgrade works on the Ilorin International Conference Centre (IICC) and the Roundabout-Sulu Gambari-Post Office Road.

“The council had earlier awarded consultancy work for feasibility studies and development of technical blueprint for the implementation of the 18,000 hectare-Ilorin Smart City to Messrs Arctual Concepts Limited at the cost of N1.4bn.

“The smart city, a district modelled after some modern cities in the world, is an offshoot of the Ilorin City Master Plan which the administration designed as an upgrade to the first Ilorin Master Plan drawn up in the 1970s,” the statement noted.

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