Organizers of the annual Ilorin Emirate Durbar festival have said that the traditional festival is targeted at attracting investors and tourists into the capital city of Kwara state.

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, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.

Speaking with journalists on activities lined up for this year's durbar in Ilorin on Sunday, the chairman of the Ilorin Emirate Durbar Committee, Engineer Suleiman Alapansanpa, said that the festival would be used to showcase the economic 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.

He also said that over 500 horsemen would be led by the Emir of lIorin and Chairman, Kwara State Council of Chiefs, (Dr.) lbrahim Sulu-Gambari, CFR, to mark this year's edition of the annual Ilorin Emirate Durbar festival on Thursday, June 29, 2023.

Alapansanpa said that Emir would be accompanied by the High Chiefs of the Emirate and members of the royal family as well as honorary title holders in the emirate.

“This year's Durbar activities shall run for six days with different programmes. Some of the events would include Endurance Walk, Durbar football championship, Special sallah prayer session, road show with well garrisoned horses, Eid prayer by the Chief Imam, governor's sallah homage to the Emir, royal visit to the governor by the Emir and special jummah service, among other activities.

“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”, he said.

The durbar committee chairman also said that his committee in conjunction with security agencies in the state had out in place 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 the 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”.