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| Vice President Kashim Shettima |
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday commissioned a major garment factory in Kwara State designed to create at least 4,000 jobs at full capacity, marking a significant boost to industrial development and employment in the state. The project, a flagship initiative of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration, was unveiled alongside an 11-storey Kwara Revenue Service (KWRS) House, both symbols of the governor’s focus on economic expansion and improved public revenue collection.
The dual commissioning formed part of high-profile ceremonies celebrating Governor AbdulRazaq’s turbaning as the Sardauna of Ilorin — the Defence Minister of the Ilorin Emirate — by the Emir of Ilorin, HRH Alhaji (Dr.) Ibrahim Kolapo Sulu-Gambari. The governor becomes the first person ever to hold the prestigious traditional title, an honour that underscores his deep ties to the emirate.
Shettima used the occasion to applaud the continuity and legacy of the AbdulRazaq administration. He recalled the distinguished history of the governor’s late father, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Folorunsho AbdulRazaq (SAN), who was Northern Nigeria’s first lawyer and the first Mutawalle of Ilorin, a title that remains in the family. The Vice President described the turbaning as recognition of service that sets an example for future generations, noting that the governor’s roots in the emirate run deep.
Beyond ceremonial praise, Shettima highlighted the practical governance gains under AbdulRazaq, including renewed classrooms, expanded medical coverage, and roads linking communities. These investments, he said, translate into tangible improvements for children, families, and farmers. As Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, the governor also plays a key role in national economic conversations, bridging federal and state priorities for the benefit of ordinary citizens.
The Vice President spoke of the personal friendship and shared responsibilities he and AbdulRazaq maintain at the National Economic Council, emphasising that titles pass but human bonds and the duty to serve the people endure.
Dignitaries in attendance included governors from Imo, Kebbi, Plateau, Ekiti, Ogun, Niger, Bayelsa and Kaduna, as well as First Lady Oluremi Tinubu (represented by the Vice President’s wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima), the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment Jumoke Oduwole, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), and traditional rulers such as the Emir of Zazzau and the Soun of Ogbomoso.
The garment factory is expected to stimulate local manufacturing, create steady employment, and contribute to Nigeria’s broader industrialisation efforts, while the new revenue house strengthens Kwara’s fiscal capacity. Together, the projects and the historic turbaning signal a moment of both traditional honour and forward-looking economic progress for the state.