Dangote UNILORIN hostel project to cost N1.1bn, with rental income used for mosque upkeep. 250-bed facility to be completed within a year
Dangote UNILORIN hostel project has officially been launched as Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, takes over the construction of a N1.1 billion ultramodern student hostel at the University of Ilorin.
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The project, originally initiated by the Ilorin Central Jumma’at Mosque, is a 250-bed facility designed to serve both students and the mosque’s long-term sustainability.
Upon completion, rental income from the hostel will be channelled directly into the maintenance and operations of the mosque.
At a press briefing held in Ilorin, Secretary of the Mosque’s Board of Trustees, Alhaji Shehu AbdulGafar, announced that Dangote had fully assumed responsibility for the project’s funding and development.
According to AbdulGafar, the Mosque has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Ilorin, granting the mosque rights to own and manage the hostel for 21 years.
Thereafter, the facility will revert to the university.
He noted that the university has allocated a prime plot of land within its campus for the construction.
The project is expected to be completed and operational within 12 months.
In a further show of commitment, Dangote has also pledged to donate N5 million monthly for the regular maintenance of the Ilorin Central Jumma’at Mosque until the hostel becomes operational.
“Dangote’s intervention is not only timely but deeply impactful,” said AbdulGafar. “His support ensures both infrastructure for students and financial sustainability for our mosque in one stroke.”
Meanwhile, the mosque is undergoing additional development with the installation of a multimillion-naira solar-powered mini-grid system, facilitated by Senator Salihu Mustapha.
The project aims to provide consistent and clean energy for worshippers.
This effort reflects a growing trend of blending religious philanthropy with educational investment, and Dangote’s gesture is expected to set a model for similar mosque-led initiatives nationwide.
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The Dangote UNILORIN hostel project comes as part of a broader effort to modernise student accommodation in Nigerian universities, while supporting religious institutions in a financially sustainable manner.
Source: Read more at freelanews.com
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
