The Sokoto State Government has rolled out monthly stipends for Imams, deputy Imams, and Mu’azzins across the state, along with fresh cash allocations to Jumu’at Mosques.
The initiative, announced Saturday by Governor Ahmed Aliyu during the graduation of 111 Qur’an memorisers under the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation in Sokoto, aims to bolster Islamic propagation and encourage Qur’anic memorisation among children.
According to a statement from Abubakar Bawa, Director General of Media and Publicity to the Governor, the allocations to Jumu’at Mosques will range from N300,000 to N500,000 depending on their category. Aliyu said the payments will help clerics perform their duties more effectively while advancing the teachings of Islam across the state.
Islamic affairs, he noted, rank second only to security in his administration’s “Nine-point Smart Agenda.” He also directed the school management to secure land for a permanent site, promising state support for its development.
At the ceremony, Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar commended Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi for establishing the foundation and applauded scholars for fostering Islamic ideals and peaceful coexistence.
Former governor Aliyu Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to guide their children toward Qur’anic memorisation, while Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, pledged ongoing support, announcing a donation of N22 million and food supplies for the graduands and school.
Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi’s representative, Ibrahim Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, said the foundation’s expansion into other states is designed to keep children in structured Qur’anic education and curb street begging.
Each of the 111 graduates received N20,000 and clothing from the state government, with the event concluding in Qur’anic recitations and award presentations.
