The Sokoto State Government has introduced monthly allowances for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state, alongside new financial allocations to Jumu’at Mosques.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Saturday by Abubakar Bawa, Director General of Media and Publicity at the Sokoto Government House, who described it as part of efforts to strengthen Islamic propagation and encourage Qur’anic memorisation among children.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu unveiled the measures at the graduation ceremony of 111 Qur’an memorisers from the Sokoto branch of the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation.
Aliyu said the allowances and mosque allocations were designed to support clerics in their responsibilities while sustaining the teachings of Islam in the state.
“We have also introduced monthly cash allocations to all our Jumu’at Mosques, ranging from ₦300,000 to ₦500,000, depending on their category. 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),” the governor stated.
He further directed the school management to secure land for a permanent site for the foundation, pledging government support to ensure its establishment.
The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, commended Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi for founding the institution and praised scholars in Sokoto for promoting Islamic values and peaceful coexistence.
Former governor Aliyu Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to encourage their children to embrace Qur’anic education, while Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, pledged continued assistance to the foundation. Yari also announced a donation of ₦22 million and food items for the graduands and the school.
The school’s proprietor, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, explained that the foundation’s expansion to other states aimed to keep children within structured Qur’anic learning systems and reduce street begging.
Each of the 111 graduands received ₦20,000 and clothing materials from the Sokoto State Government. The event concluded with Qur’anic recitations and prize presentations.
