An Indonesian Islamic scholar and philanthropist, Umi Waheedah Bint Abdul Rahman, has urged Nigerian communities to adopt a Waqf-based model to fund Almajiri education, tackle poverty and equip children with practical skills.
Ms Abdul Rahman said that income from businesses established through Islamic charitable endowments could provide sustainable funding for schools, create jobs and reduce dependence on donations and government assistance.
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She spoke on Friday during a public lecture titled “Sustainable Community Empowerment through Waqf: Experiences, Lessons, and Prospects” at Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
According to a statement signed by Lamara Garba, the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Waqf is an Islamic charitable endowment whose assets, if preserved, can finance religious, educational and other social services.
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“Waqf should not be understood merely as an avenue for charitable donations but as a sustainable economic system capable of generating the resources needed to finance social services over the long term,” she said.
She urged Nigerian communities to adapt the model to local needs rather than rely solely on government intervention.
How the model works
Ms Abdul Rahman cited the free Islamic boarding schools she and her late husband established in 1998 to provide disadvantaged children with education, food, accommodation and healthcare.
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She said the schools served about 23,000 students by 2010, from early childhood to university level. However, following her husband’s death that year, enrolment fell to about 15,000.
She acknowledged that the institution faced challenges from accumulated debt and unpaid staff salaries, forcing her to sell personal belongings, including jewellery and vehicles, to keep the schools running and protect the endowed assets.
The institution now operates 73 business units, including rice farms and processing factories, coffee farms, timber plantations, bakeries, noodle and soya milk production facilities, fisheries and livestock farms.
She also said the institution operates a poultry farm with 10,000 laying chickens and produces animal feed.
Ms Abdul Rahman also confirmed that the institution gathered revenue through its businesses, which helps finance the schools while students gain practical experience in production, marketing and entrepreneurship.
Turning waste into wealth
Speaking on waste management as a source of income, she said the institution generates income through waste recycling, using rotten food waste to produce larvae as poultry and fish feed, and processing discarded plastics, eggshells, and sweet wrappers into yarn, crafts, ornaments, and paving blocks.
Students also receive training in agriculture, fisheries, sewing and beauty-product manufacturing, with some producing goods for internal use and sale.
According to Ms Abdul Rahman, the institution’s traditional caps, known as kofia, have reached international markets, including Senegal.
She said the initiative aims to prepare young people to become job creators rather than depend entirely on paid employment, charitable donations or government assistance.
Proposed partnerships in Nigeria
Ms Abdul Rahman said the Central Bank of Indonesia supports businesses within Islamic boarding schools, including drinking-water production, waste recycling and biogas generation from cow waste.
She expressed interest in establishing similar partnerships in Nigeria, particularly to support Almajiri schools.
Under the proposed arrangement, financial institutions would provide funding, universities would contribute research and technical expertise, and Islamic organisations would coordinate implementation within communities.
She said productive investments, vocational training and effective management could make Waqf “a sustainable instrument of social transformation.”
BUK pledges research collaboration
The Vice-Chancellor of BUK, Haruna Musa, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Ahmad Tsauni, said the model could help address poverty, unemployment and educational disadvantage.
He identified out-of-school children, youth unemployment, the poor condition of orphanages and the displacement of vulnerable people as major challenges facing Nigeria.
Mr Musa said Waqf can provide sustainable solutions if assets are managed with “transparency, accountability and a clear development strategy.”
He announced plans for the university to offer postgraduate fellowships for researchers to study Ms Abdul Rahman’s model and explore institutional partnerships.
Summit Bank offers graduate employment
The chairman of the occasion and Managing Director of Summit Bank Limited, Sirajo Salisu, announced plans to employ outstanding graduates and students.
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He said the bank plans to recruit the best graduating male and female students in Islamic Banking and Finance or Economics over the next five years, subject to the university’s decision on the selection process.
Mr Salisu also offered to mentor undergraduate and postgraduate students voluntarily every two weeks.
Experts call for Almajiri education reform
Binta Jibril, a former director of the International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, called for an integrated Almajiri education system that includes Qur’anic instruction, vocational training, entrepreneurship, and professional education.
She said school-based businesses could generate revenue, reduce operating costs and equip pupils with practical skills.
Also speaking at the event, Abdullahi Lamido, director-general of Economic and Social Reforms Coordination in Gombe State, urged individuals, families and communities to organise charitable contributions around specific development needs.
He said Waqf could support education, healthcare, job creation and community development, adding that productive investments and transparent management could make Almajiri schools financially sustainable while preparing pupils for productive lives.
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