Ramadan: Institutionalise endowment to tackle poverty – Don

A lecturer of Economics at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr. Abdullah Abubakar Lamido, has called for the use of waqf (Islamic endowment) to tackle poverty in the country. He made the call on Sunday in Abuja at the 22nd annual national unity Ramadan lecture of the Al-Habibiyya Islamic Society of Nigeria, with the theme […]

A lecturer of Economics at the Bayero University, Kano (BUK), Dr. Abdullah Abubakar Lamido, has called for the use of waqf (Islamic endowment) to tackle poverty in the country.

He made the call on Sunday in Abuja at the 22nd annual national unity Ramadan lecture of the Al-Habibiyya Islamic Society of Nigeria, with the theme ‘Poverty: The Islamic Solution’.

Lamido, who was a former National President of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) said that the waqf is a charitable endowment of property or assets for religious purposes, aimed at benefiting the less privileged in society.

The scholar, decrying the high poverty rate in the country, said that proper implementation of Islamic endowment could significantly address the country’s economic challenges.

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Lamido said that the role of economic empowerment, charity, and wealth creation in Islam as essential tools for societal development, and that Islam encourages economic prosperity to ensure access to basic necessities such as shelter, education, healthcare, and sanitation.

Citing Quranic injunctions, he urged Muslims to seek Allah’s bounties through lawful earnings while supporting the less privileged for a just and egalitarian society.

“There is no place in the Quran or Sunnah where poverty is encouraged. Islam commands Muslims to work and seek sustenance while also supporting the less privileged through zakat, voluntary charity, and waqf,” Lamido said.

He also noted that the Glorious Quran contains more verses on wealth, trade, and charity than on prayer, highlighting the importance of financial stability in worship.

He urged wealthy individuals and elites to invest in waqf as a sustainable solution for poverty alleviation, education, and healthcare development in Nigeria and also urged Muslims facing economic hardship to remain steadfast while striving for self-reliance, as Islam promotes collective responsibility within the Ummah.

Earlier, the National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyya Islamic Society, Sheikh Fuad Adeyemi, urged Muslims to embrace Islamic economic principles such as waqf to combat poverty.

He noted the importance for self-reliance and economic independence through Islamic teachings, advocating for locally driven solutions.

“We cannot keep searching for solutions outside when Islam has already provided them. Instead of blaming the government, we should establish systems rooted in Islamic teachings to help us overcome poverty,” Adeyemi said.

He said that the organisation is targeting over 75,000 beneficiaries for this years’ Ramadan fasting as its food bank pioneered in Nigeria has commenced the feeding of over 2,500 people daily for the ifta’r (breaking of fast).