Coming to Ilorin: What you should know

I was on Nairaland reading a lengthy post on my Nokia C1 when I received the text message that would determine where I would be spending the next six years of my life. All things being equal. I opened the text message, and alas, it was a message from the University of Ilorin. I just got admission to study Medicine and Surgery.

Coming to Ilorin, I was excited. First, because I was going to medical school (had I known), and second, I had heard so much from people about the people, food, places, etc. After spending seven years here, I think I am qualified enough to give “hot takes” about this beautiful city. In doing that, I would be comparing Ilorin to places like Ibadan and Lagos. I would be looking at important issues such as the people, housing, cost of living, and economy.

Where is Ilorin?

Ilorin is the state capital of Kwara State in Northern Nigeria. As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 7th largest city by population in Nigeria.

The people of Ilorin

When you get to a new place, one of the first things that strike you is the people.

Ilorin is predominantly Yoruba as opposed to popular belief that they are mostly Hausas. However, a number of them have Fulani roots. Ilorin has three local governments, with Yoruba being the predominant tribe. Other tribes include; Hausa, Fulani, and Nupe.

Generally, the people of Ilorin are friendly and peaceful with a sprinkle of arrogance. They are always proud of being from Ilorin up to a condescending level sometimes. The men are very cerebral and innovative. And God also deemed it fit to bless them with beautiful women. Please don’t raise your hopes yet; they don’t usually allow them to marry non-indigenes. The reason for this, I don’t know.

Notably, there is one peculiar thing about most people from Ilorin. And that is their attitude to work which is somewhat not encouraging. Here, I am talking of artisans, entrepreneurs, etc. In Ibadan, where I grew up, by 7 am, most shops are already opened for business. Your favorite snack seller already has hot puff-puff laced with red pepper ready for you. It is an entirely different story with Ilorin artisans, traders, and entrepreneurs. They open for business as late as 11; 00 am. It is as if someone is forcing them to come to their workplace. This is something I wish they could improve on.

Housing

As one of the fundamental requirements of a human being, housing comes next. Here, my focus would be on the cost of renting an apartment. Due to the lack of adequate data, which is a problem with developing countries, I had to rely on word of mouth from real estate agents in Ilorin. According to Salaryexplorer.com, the average income in Nigeria is #339,000. However, I can’t entirely agree with this. But to get a good grasp of what I am about to describe, let’s go with it.

The cost of renting a house in Ilorin is less expensive than in Ibadan but way cheaper than in Lagos. Highbrow places in Ilorin like Agric, GRA, Fate-Basin are quite affordable for average income earners in Ibadan. A three-bedroom flat falls around #350,000 to #450,000/annum while a 4 bedroom flat can be gotten for #500,000 to #600,000/annum. Areas like Oluyole Estate, Ring Road, New Bodija Estate in Ibadan will have you thinking twice as an average income earner before renting a house there. A four or five-bedroom duplex can be as high as #1,500,000/annum, while a three-bedroom flat might be around #600,000 to #700,000/annum.

The other regular parts of the town in Ilorin like Tanke, Sawmill, Olorunsogo, Odota, Garin Alimi, Sango, etc., are relatively similar to standard parts of Ibadan too in terms of cost. A room self-con costs around #100,000 to #130,000, especially in places in Ilorin like Tanke, Sango, Oke-Ose, a predominantly student area. The same goes for areas in Ibadan like Ajibode, U.I, Sango, which has some level of students concentrated around there. A 3 bedroom flat in both cities’ common areas will cost you around #250,000 to #300,000/annum.

However, this is an overview. Other factors like the amenities also influence houses’ prices and construction costs if they’re new homes.

Cost of living in Ilorin

The focus here is on how much you should be expecting to spend on food, clothing, healthcare, and transportation. Generally, Ilorin’s cost of living is relatively low compared to Ibadan, Lagos, and Abuja.

First, the foodstuff cost in Ilorin is less expensive than in Ibadan, especially foodstuff from other parts of the North. Foodstuff like millet, soya beans, raw meat, potatoes, pepper, yam is quite affordable because of the proximity of Ilorin to other Northern states. However, the price of rice is relatively the same. The prices of packaged foodstuffs like noodles, spaghetti, canned food, etc., are also the same.

Now, let’s talk about clothing. When shopping for clothes, Ilorin is not the best place to do it as a newbie. There is only one central area for shopping for clothes in Ilorin. And that’s the Challenge-Post Office Axis. You can also repair and purchase gadgets here. It’s no different from the Ojoo market, one of the major markets in Ibadan. You can easily get conned as a number of the traders there sell fake clothes. Both fake and original clothes are expensive in Ilorin when compared to Ibadan. However, there are stores in Ilorin that sell authentic clothing. I would advise you to get someone to show you around when shopping.

Health is wealth, they say. And that’s why we must talk about it. Access to adequate and affordable healthcare in Ilorin is subjective. If you are a high-income earner and are looking for private hospitals with state-of-the-art equipment, I would advise you to delete Ilorin from your list. Most private hospitals in Ilorin are set up for low and middle-income earners. Some hospitals don’t even charge for consultation fee. A cesarean section that costs an average of #150,000 in places like Ibadan, Lagos can be done for #50,000 in some hospitals in Ilorin. Nonetheless, there are few private hospitals set up for high-income earners.

Moving around, the traffic in Ilorin is usually smooth except during rush hours, and the fares are not expensive. Ilorin, just like Ibadan, is a place you can leave home and correctly predict the time you would get to work. However, Ilorin has a complex road network.

Economy

Ilorin has a tiny economy owing to a low level of human resources and consumers. These are a reflection of the population. Now, what is the implication of this? Suppose you are operating a business-to-consumer(B2C) model like restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars, etc. In that case, there is a high tendency your business will suffer in Ilorin. First, the population is relatively low, and second, a vast majority might not be able to afford it. My initial view of the business side of Ilorin was that because there are not many businesses here like Ibadan and Lagos, it is a gold mine. My perspective changed when I discussed it with a close friend who has been in Ilorin all his life while writing this article. And thinking retrospectively, I remembered B2C startups- Opay, Bolt- that are thriving in other states like Ibadan and Lagos but struggling in Ilorin.

Concerning business-to-business (B2B) models, just like in any other place, they will survive. The problem might be the lack of adequate human resources to fill up the available job vacancies in terms of the required qualification. And that’s not a big deal for them; they can always get people from other branches or places to come over.

My take on this is that if you are thinking of starting something novel or a business as a young entrepreneur. Endeavor to have a backup plan if things don’t work out or better still start somewhere else.

To summarise, Ilorin is a calm city with a nice ambiance. The cost of living is perfect for young individuals or families just starting their life journey. On the business side, I would not advise one to put all his eggs in one basket when doing business in Ilorin. Nonetheless, I could settle here if the need arises, but I think I love Ibadan more.