Sokoto Govt introduces allowances for Imams, monthly cash allocations to mosques

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The Sokoto State Government has rolled out new measures to strengthen Islamic propagation and support clerics across the state, including the introduction of monthly allowances for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins, as well as direct cash allocations to Jumu’at mosques.

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Governor Ahmed Aliyu announced the initiatives at the graduation ceremony of 111 memorizers of the Qur’an from the Sokoto branch of the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation on Saturday.

The governor explained that his administration had placed Islamic propagation as a top priority, ranking second only to security in his Nine-point Smart Agenda.

“We have awarded contracts for the renovation of 65 Jumu’at Mosques, out of which 25 had since been completed and 15 successfully commissioned. 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 had been introduced for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state to support them in the discharge of their duties,” he said.

Governor Aliyu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that would encourage Qur’anic memorization among children, stressing that it would help nurture a generation that upholds Islamic teachings in line with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He also directed the school management to identify land for the establishment of its permanent site and forward the proposal to the state government.

At the event, the Sokoto State Government, through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, donated N20,000 and clothing materials to each of the 111 graduands.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, commended Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi for establishing the foundation and praised the role of scholars in promoting Islamic ideals and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.

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Former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to encourage their children to memorize the Qur’an, while also commending the Sokoto government for its support for Islamic affairs.

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Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, also praised the foundation and announced a donation of N10 million to the graduands, N10 million to the organizers, and N2 million plus food items to the school management.

In his remarks, Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, represented by Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the school, which began in Bauchi, has expanded to other states to enable children memorize the Qur’an within four years.

He emphasized that the initiative helps keep children engaged in structured learning rather than roaming the streets begging, a problem he said could be significantly reduced if such schools are replicated across the North.

The ceremony ended with recitations from the Qur’an by the graduating pupils and presentation of prizes to them.