We have disbursed N600m since 2014 —NASFAT zakat agency

THE NASFAT Agency for Zakat and Sadaqat (NAZAS), an agency responsible for the collection and distribution of zakat, has distributed no less than N600 million to beneficiaries since its inception in 2014.

The chairman of the Board of Directors of NAZAS, Alhaji Hafiz Bakare, made this disclosure on Sunday in Lagos during the agency’s Annual General Meeting, where about N103 million was disbursed to beneficiaries for the year-end 2022.

According to Bakare, the agency disbursed the N600 million in cash and kind to about 500,000 beneficiaries and made appreciable impacts on the lives of the underprivileged in the society.

In terms of growth, the agency has grown every year in its zakat and sadaqat collection and gained increased awareness among the Muslim ummah.

The operational results of the agency showed that for two consecutive years, the agency attained an annual target of about N100 million in the collection of zakat and sadaqat.

This feat, according to the chairman, was achieved by the consolidation of accounts of all the operating units and branches of the agency worldwide.

“With the continuous effort, consistent achievement and growth of the agency, we paddled through the tides of the challenges around our operating environment for the performance during the year under review, as we have successively crossed the N100-million mark in our annual zakat and sadaqat collections for the second time in the history of the agency,” he said.

The beneficiaries of the donations include Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), health support and outreach patients, disadvantaged students, empowerment beneficiaries, Train for Fund Scheme awardees and food and clothing recipients.

In a remark, the president of NASFAT, Mr Niyi Yusuf, who attended the AGM with other critical stakeholders, commended the directors and management of the agency for the achievement but encouraged the agency to attain a milestone of over N150 million initially conceived by the BOT in a short time.

The General Manager of NAZAS, Mufutau Adelotan, said the agency recently introduced the Train-To-Fund Scheme (TTFS), a training and skill acquisition programme that is followed by financial empowerment of beneficiaries in different categories.

“The beneficiaries are given considerable amounts and monitored periodically to evaluate their performance to provide further mentorship and be allowed to grow in businesses and become zakat payers,” Adelotan said.

The items disbursed at the 1445 A.H. Muharam AGM included sewing machines of various types, deep freezers and grinding machines. Cash was also distributed to cover scholarships, empowerment, health, debt relief, stipends for older people, etc.

Other dignitaries present at the AGM included the Chief Missioner of NASFAT, Imam Morufu AbdulAzeez Onike; Chairman, Alhaji Kamal Bolarinwa; and directors of NAZAS, Alhaji W. AbdulRahman, Imam Lateef Bello, Alhaja Shareefah Andu (Arabel), Dr Nosiru Onibon, Mr Olalekan Tijani, Dr AbdulRasheed Asamu and Alhaji Muhyideen Yusuf.

Others are the chairman of NAZAS, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Alhaji Isiaq Ajibola and the chairman of NAZAS, Lagos Zone 1, Alhaji Mohammed Adisa,.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke for the others expressed gratitude to NASFAT and NAZAS for the opportunity and kind gesture and then promised to make judicious use of what they received.