Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has approved the naming of several legacy projects, both old and new, after notable historic figures and leaders.

Topping the list is Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, after whom the multibillion-naira Civil Service Clinic is being named. The old clinic is currently being reconstructed into a state-of-the-art, multistorey health facility.

Senator Tinubu will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the project during her official visit to Kwara State between 28th and 30th January 2025. She will also inaugurate other legacy projects, including the Unity Flyover, an ultramodern Intensive Care Unit, an Executive Ward, and the Gen. Tunde Idiagbon Flyover—previously named after the late disciplinarian leader.

Additionally, the First Lady will commission an ICT Centre built under the Renewed Hope Initiative at the Kwara State University of Education.

Other honourees include former Governor Bamigboye, Innih, Lawal, Dr. Amuda Aluko, Ndalolo, and the late football legend Rashidi Yekini, whose contributions to the state and nation have been recognised through these iconic namings.

The road leading to the flyover is now to be called the Tafawa Balewa Road, a gesture in honour of Nigeria’s former Prime Minister, who was killed in the January 1966 military coup.

The Governor has meanwhile approved for the ICT Centre to be named after former Minister Amina Ndalolo, a jewel of Kwara North, while the executive ward at the Kwara State Teaching Hospital is named after the late prominent physician and politician Dr. Amuda Aluko.

The first state secretariat is now to be called the Brigadier General David Bamigboye Secretariat in honour of the first military administrator of the old Kwara State, while the new secretariat is named after Rear Admiral Muhammed Alabi Lawal who governed the state between 1999 and 2003.

Kwara State Stadium Complex will now be known as Major-General George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex in appreciation of his contributions to the state.

The main bowl of the stadium is named after the late Rashidi Yekini, a football legend renowned for scoring Nigeria’s first World Cup goal and the country’s highest goal scorer till date.

Governor Abdulrazaq, similarly, approved for some other important state facilities to be named as follows: Table Tennis Arena is named after Atanda Musa (Manza Musa), who was a national champion in the games in 1979; Indoor Sports Hall is named after Gabriel Babatunde Ladipo, the first black principal of the Government Technical Training School Ilorin (GTTS) who was regarded as the father of sports in the state; Squash Court is named after Coach Bolakale Mogaji, executive chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission who was the pioneer coach, player, and national champion in the squash game; KFA Academy is named after Coach Usuman Adenuja, the first football coach who took the Kwara Academicals to the final of Academical football competition. The Governor was among his products.

Hostel A of the stadium is named after Salihu Ishola, the first Kwaran commonwealth games’ medalist; Hostel B is named after Paralympic badminton bronze medalist Bolaji Eniola; and Hostel C is named after Bola Esan, the first female director of sports.