Urban Renewal: Hurricane Ramoni Hits Yoruba Road Market, Flower Garden, Thousands Business Outfits In GRA As Govt Serves Traders, Business Owners Evacuation Notice. 

By Bamidele Aremu

Tension and uncertainty have gripped business communities across Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, following a sweeping directive by the state government ordering the immediate evacuation of several major commercial areas as part of its ongoing urban renewal programme.

Thousands of traders and business owners were caught off guard by the order, which came without the provision of alternative locations or compensation plans, sparking widespread concern and growing resentment.

The affected areas include the expansive Yoruba Road Market in GRA, which hosts over 3,000 shops, electronics outlets, and informal markets and commercial corridors stretching from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) along Offa Road to Tanke Junction, a vital axis serving students and residents of Ilorin.

Evacuation notice served to traders and business owners by Kwara GIS 

Also affected are the Royal Eatery opposite the NYSC Secretariat, surrounding commercial outlets, and numerous shops located beside the Ministry of Works, extending down to Ilofa Road.

The directive was confirmed in an eviction notice dated June 16, 2025, issued by the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (Kw-GiS), Directorate of Physical Planning and Development Control. The letter, signed by Tpl. Mashood Kareem on behalf of the Director, reads: ” Pursuant to the on-going Urban Renewal Program within Ilorin Metropolis and the consequent re-alignment of infrastructures within same, you are by this notice directed to revert your property building back to it’s original state (ab-ni-tio).

Furthermore, all commercial activities within these designated areas are to be

suspended forthwith. Please, treat this correspondence with dispatch.”

The announcement has sparked concerns and rising tension among affected shop owners and business operators, many of whom say they were not given adequate notice or alternatives.

As of now, enforcement agencies are expected to begin inspecting the affected areas, with non-compliance likely to attract sanctions.