The Sokoto State Government has introduced monthly stipends for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state, along with new funding for Jumu’at Mosques.
This was revealed in a statement on Saturday by Abubakar Bawa, Director General of Media and Publicity at the Sokoto Government House, who said the initiative aims to promote Islamic teachings and encourage Qur’anic memorisation among children.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu announced the initiative during a graduation ceremony for 111 Qur’an memorisers from the Sokoto chapter of the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation.
He explained that the allowances and mosque funding are intended to support Islamic clerics in fulfilling their responsibilities and to help sustain the spread of Islamic knowledge in the state.
“We have also introduced monthly cash allocations to all our Jumu’at Mosques, ranging from N300,000 to N500,000 depending on their category.
“In addition, monthly allowances have been introduced for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state to support them in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
The governor noted that Islamic affairs remain central to his administration’s “Nine-point Smart Agenda,” ranking second only to security.
“Encouraging Qur’anic memorisation among our children will help raise a generation that upholds the good teachings of Islam in line with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),” Aliyu added.
He also directed the school management to identify land for the establishment of a permanent site, assuring that the state government would provide the necessary support.
At the event, Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, praised Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi for establishing the foundation and lauded scholars in the state for promoting Islamic ideals and peaceful coexistence.
Former Sokoto governor, Aliyu Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to encourage their children to embrace Qur’anic memorisation.
Similarly, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, pledged continuous support for the foundation and announced a donation of N22 million alongside food items to the graduands and the school.
The religious school’s proprietor, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the foundation’s expansion to other states was aimed at keeping children in structured Qur’anic learning environments and reducing street begging.
Each of the 111 graduands received N20,000 and clothing materials from the Sokoto State Government during the ceremony, which ended with Qur’anic recitations and prize presentations.
