Islamic group, McArthur Foundation set to empower Muslim clerics

A faith-based organisation, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, in conjunction with Chicago, United States-based McArthur Foundation, has commenced an empowerment programme aimed at improving the socio-economic wellbeing of Muslim clerics and followers of Islam in some states in Nigeria.

The Executive Director/Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Ustadh Fouad Adeyemi, said during advocacy visits to some Muslim stakeholders in Kwara State that the programme of the organisation included ‘Eat Halal (Lawful)’, which started in six states of the federation but had now been extended to eight states – Kebbi, Sokoto, Kogi, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Kwara, Kaduna – and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

Adeyemi noted that the support of the McArthur Foundation for Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society had brought about the skill acquisition and empowerment project for Islamic clerics, which started four years ago.

According to him, the project is aimed at, among other things, encouraging the benefitting clerics to become financially independent so as to be able to preach without fear against societal evils and discourage them from engaging in activities that are inimical to the well-being of the society.

He said the organisation had partnered with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and farmers’associations like the All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN), as well as McArthur Foundation, to train them on agribusiness.

As part of programme brought to Kwara State, the Al-Habibiyyah leader said that 50 youths comprising mostly unemployed graduates were trained on how to make use of their phones to engage in halal (lawful) businesses and other profitable ventures as against cybercrime.

Adeyemi said the Islamic organisation started with four-month executive Qur’an lessons for adult Muslims about 20 years ago, adding that it provided free feeding for about 2,000 people daily during Ramadan, as part of a programme called ‘Food Bank’ that started in 2004.

The Islamic stakeholders visited during the maiden advocacy trip to Kwara State include the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Mohammad Bashir Soliu; the Imam Imale, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdulhamid; the Chief Imam of the Ansar-Ud- Deen Society, Imam Muhammad Shafii Muhammad, and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious Matters, Alhaji Ibrahim DanMaigoro.

In separate remarks, they commended the organisation and charged the members not to relent in practising the teachings of the Holy Qur’an for a better society.

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