Ilorin Emirate Targets Investors, Tourists Through Durbar

The annual Ilorin Emirate Durbar festival is targeted at attracting investors and tourists into the capital city of Kwara State.

The chairman of the Ilorin Emirate Durbar Committee, Engr Suleiman Alapansanpa made this known in Ilorin, on Sunday while briefing newsmen on the activities lined up for this year’s durbar.

The annual durbar, is usually held on the second day of Eid-el-Kabir at the forecourt of the palace of the Emir of Ilorin, Alh Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

Alapansanpa, said that the festival would be used to showcase the economy potentials and rich culture of the various communities that made up Ilorin Emirate across five local government areas of Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Moro and Asa.

“The main purpose of showcasing the economic potentials and rich culture of Ilorin Emirate, comprising Ilorin West, East, South, Asa, and Moro local government areas is to attract investors and tourists to our communities,” Alapansanpa added.

The durbar committee chairman disclosed that his committee in conjunction with security agencies in the state have emplaced adequate security measure for the event, which will hold on Thursday, between 10am and 4pm.

Alapansanpa who said that this year’s edition would be the fifth since the festival was reintroduced in 2018 added that, “let me quickly put it on record that Ilorin Emirate Durbar festival was reintroduced in 2018 by the Emir who felt that such an important aspect of our culture should not be forgotten but brought to limelight again and in a more glamorous style and manner. Since then, we have never missed any edition.

“Though durbar is durbar but the way we stage our own is unique. This uniqueness stems from our peculiarities. This is because Ilorin Emirate is an epitome of unity in diversity. This is the reason why you witness in our durbar what is unobtainable in the durbar festival of the sister Emirates of northern Nigeria. This year’s edition of the festival would be quite different from what that played out in the past. But its uniqueness would remain as manifest as possible.”