Unlike what obtains in many towns where grime and dirt are part and parcel of the environment, Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, is refreshingly different. SULAIMON OLANREWAJU reports.

The first thing that strikes you on arrival is the cleanliness of the town. Unlike what obtains in many of the big towns and cities in the country, the streets are very clean. It does not matter whether you are in the upscale part of the town or its low-end areas, you cannot but notice how conspicuously clean the town is. Be it in the GRAs or the hinterlands, you come away with the impression that nothing is out of place; everything seems to have been properly put in place. There is no doubt that good thinking, quality time and funds have been invested into making the town a beauty.

Trees line up some streets, while flowers adorn others. The drainage is clean, posters do not litter everywhere neither do banners constitute a nuisance, even signboards are strategically located so as not to detract from the beautiful scenery of the town. Welcome to Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.

But cleanliness is not the only thing that stands Ilorin out, all the roundabouts in the town are a sight to behold with well cultured flowers and sculptural works adorning them. The major roads are complemented with walkways while streetlights are a given.

As observed by Jimoh Abubakre, a grocer at Emir's Road, the state has become synonymous with beautiful ambience. According to him, the government has done a lot to ensure that all the major towns in the state such as Offa, Jebba, Patigi and Omu Aran, among others, are as beautiful as the capital town.

"For some time now, the government has been working hard to make the state capital beautiful by employing street sweepers to keep the town clean, while empowering some agencies to clear the garbage. It is very unlikely that you will find overflowing garbage cans in this town because those handling the programme are very committed, you can be sure that they will turn up at the right time. Even in some parts of the town where garbage cans are not available, you will find out that the people will park their garbage neatly waiting for the collectors to come,” Abubakre said.

"The refuse collectors start as early as 7.00am and they work till late in the day to ensure that the town is kept clean. That is why wherever you go, you find that the whole place is clean.

"The effort of the government has achieved one thing that is quite commendable. Before now, we had the culture of throwing dirt anywhere, but since the government embarked on this project, the people have bought into it and now it is difficult to see people throw dirt on the streets. Now, when we finish our sachet water, we don't throw the sachet on the street. When we are through with our oranges and other fruits, we don't throw the skins just anywhere, we consciously put them in the refuse bin till the refuse collectors show up.”

Abubakre added that "Although, the government has an enforcement team in place, I don't think there is any need for that anymore because Kwarans are already used to living in a clean environment and I don't think any of us will like to go back to our old ways. Now, most people in Ilorin, at least, have seen the need to sustain the beautiful environment.”

Another citizen, Mrs Mulikat Adebayo of Olohunmomuwa, Isale Oja area, was also full of praise to the government for changing the image of Ilorin for the better. The fashion designer said that maintaining a clean environment had become a way of life in the town, adding that this was because the government had inculcated it into the people.

"Cleanliness has become part and parcel of the government's programme to the extent that the trees and the flowers are regularly trimmed to enhance the beauty of the state. While you are still thinking that the flowers are becoming less beautiful, you find that some people have come to keep them in good shape,” Adebayo said. "The government has demonstrated to us that we do not have to travel abroad to see beautiful things or live in a beautiful environment. I particularly appreciate the efforts of the government to make the state capital and many parts of the state beautiful. It is almost magical, compared with where we were.”

Expatiating on why it was so easy for the people to buy into the vision of the government, Adebayo said when the government started the programme, it linked a clean environment to good health. "The government was able to sell the idea to the populace that living in a clean environment would have a positive impact on their health. With that, it was easy to have people key into the programme, knowing well that we have more to gain by having a clean environment.”

While speaking on how the state had been able to achieve the feat of keeping the state capital clean, Dr Muyideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant to Kwara State governor on Media and Communications, said it was the result of the determination of the government to make a statement with cleanliness.

He explained that the Bukola Saraki administration had, through its Clean and Green Programme, expressed the desire to make the state one of the cleanest in the country.

He added that while the 'clean' aspect of the programme was to ensure that the people imbibed the culture of cleanliness, the 'green' component was to facilitate the growing of flowers and greenery across the state.

"So, we are not only talking about a clean environment but also having one that is aesthetically pleasant to look at,” he said. "In line with that administration's approach to service delivery, it was started as a Private Public Partnership venture. So, we work through private sector contractors to do the cleaning. One of the key aspects of it is cleaning the roads. So, every morning, like six or seven, you will see all these cleaners who clean the major highways, not just in the capital but also in major towns and urban centres across the state. We were able to generate employment at that level and also ensure that the city is clean. We did a lot of landscaping and planted flowers all over the place.”

Talking about compliance, Akorede said the people were cooperative, adding that, "All the same, there is an enforcement team in place. Its duty is to keep the state tidy and to discourage people from messing up the place.”

He continued, "So, when this administration came in, what it did was to sustain that. We have increased the number of people involved in the programme. In fact, as part of our youth empowerment programme, about 1,872 new operatives will be engaged for the scheme. What we have also done is to bring in more contractors, especially for the residential areas. So, the contractors will come to your place, they will put a bin and you pay them. They will come to pick the garbage at regular intervals. So, we have also created employment at that level too.

"But more importantly, we have now moved the infrastructure that we were using in those areas covered by the contractors to other parts of the state, which is why we have been able to enhance the efficiency of the clean and green programme.”

Nigerian Tribune observed that as the sun was wrapped up by the clouds, leaving behind a trail of darkness, the solar-powered lights came alive and all the streets were illuminated, making the retreat of the sun of no effect on the sprawling town.

No wonder the slogan in Kwara is, 'It's good here.'