A faith-based organisation, Ar-Ridoh Islamic International Foundation, has trained about 250 youths in Qur’an proficiency, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fundamentals and leadership skills.
The training tagged ‘a month vacation programme’, which was organised in collaboration with the Ibadan Muslim Community, had as participants, youths between the ages of 15 and 25.
At the graduation ceremony, held at House of Chiefs, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State, the Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Sheikh Muhammad-Jamiu AbdulGafar, explained that by 2030, the foundation aims to have groomed 10,000 youths in all-round education, including Islamic ethos, digital entrepreneurship and leadership roles, as part of efforts to resolve the socio-cultural and economic challenges in the country.
Abdulgafar said the graduating trainees, who were the first set to participate in the course, had been adequately trained in Islamic education with moderation, tolerance and accommodation, latest and advanced ICT courses such as networking and artificial intelligence.
“Leadership training is very important for upcoming leaders and that is why it is a core course in the programme as we have abundant resources in Nigeria but lack managers,” he declared.
Abdulgafar said the programme would be replicated in all states of the federation until 2030, and called on individuals and groups to partner the foundation on the “laudable” project.
The graduation ceremony featured presentations by some of the successful trainees in the areas of leadership skills, ICT appreciation, artificial intelligence and Arabic/Islamic learning.
In their presentations on challenges of leadership in Nigeria, two of the graduating youths, Teslim Abdulazeez and Zainab Abdullai, described mismanagement of human and natural resources as the bane of leadership.
They also pointed out that bad followers produce bad leaders and stressed the need for attitudinal change among the citizens for a better Nigeria.
In another presentation on modern and swift ways to teach Arabic and Islamic knowledge, one of the graduands, Kaothaor Alabi, said recitation of the Glorious Qur’an requires mastery of the rules guiding the pronunciation of the words, adherence to pitch patterns and learning of Arabic language.
At the end of the course, the participants had carried out trial runs of more than 50 websites developed by them within a period of one month.
In an address, the chairman of the Ibadan Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustopha Adebayo Oyero, commended the initiative and appealed to parents to assist the youths who had sacrificed their vacation period for the training to revise what they have learnt.
The chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Rafiu Ebiti, advised the graduands to be mindful of the expectations of the society from them as the future of Islam who should always conduct themselves with honour and dignity.
Ebiti implored the young men and women not to imitate other people’s lifestyle but remain focus.
In separate goodwill messages, renowned academic and expert in Arabic and Islamic studies, Professor Daud Noibi and the Chief Missioner, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Dr Daud Amoo-Alaga, emphasised the need for students to be trained in line with the injunction of Allah so that they would be conscious of their mission in life.
The Muslim leaders described knowledge and fear of Allah as essential ingredients of a good life.
The Chairman, Youth and Public Safety Awareness Imitative, Brigadier-General Muhammad Yusuf Danjuma (rtd), who was a guest lecturer at the event, cautioned students against indulging in life-damaging acts like drug abuse and trafficking.
Delivering a paper entitled ‘Sensitisation of Students and the Public against Drug/Substance Abuse and Trafficking’, General Danjuma pointed out that drug abuse has led to shattered dreams, crimes, illness and political violence in the society.
He urged students never to give in to pressure by peer groups.
Muslim personalities, representatives of Islamic organisations and scholars who graced the event included the Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Muslih Yahya; Director, Al-Madany and Islamic Civic Centre, Dr Najeemdeen Agboluaje; Chairman, Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ibadan branch, Alhaji AbdurRahman AbdulGaniy; National Coordinator, Dawah Front of Nigeria, Alhaji Musliudeen AbdulGafar; and Chairman, Association of Arabic and Islamic Schools in Oyo State, Sheikh Nasirudeen Arikeusola-Kharasi.
and then