— 26 beneficiaries get equipment, cash support as charity organisation marks 25th anniversary
In its usual move towards alleviating poverty and empowering the less privileged, the Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation has distributed work tools and startup capital to selected beneficiaries in Ekiti State, marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary of charitable service.
The empowerment programme, held at the Ansar-ud-Deen Central Mosque, Odo-Otu in Ado Ekiti, featured the distribution of sewing machines, grinding machines, construction tools, stoning machines and financial support, among others, to 26 carefully selected individuals from across the state.
The empowerment initiative is one of many interventions by the Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, which has been actively involved in supporting the poor and vulnerable across Nigeria for the past 25 years.
Representing the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Alhaji Sulaiman Olagunju, at the event, Alhaji Issa Oni said the initiative was part of the foundation’s goals to ensure self-reliance among the needy through sustained empowerment and charity, as enjoined in Islam.
He disclosed that the foundation covered 27 states across Nigeria in 2024 and targets no fewer than 28 states in 2025, calling on well-meaning Muslims to support the work by paying their obligatory Zakat and voluntary Sadaqat.
“This charitable work cannot be done by the foundation alone. We urge wealthy Muslims in Ekiti to contribute in cash or kind, through tools, scholarships and sponsorships, so that more lives can be touched,” Oni said.
He emphasized that beneficiaries must use the items strictly for productive ventures, stressing the need for accountability and the importance of translating support into tangible progress.
Also speaking, the Ekiti State Coordinator of the Foundation, Professor Lukman Sulaiman, who is also a lecturer in the Department of Finance at Ekiti State University, revealed that the items distributed were worth over three million naira, and that beneficiaries were selected after a transparent application and screening process.
Professor Sulaiman noted that many previous beneficiaries of the foundation’s empowerment initiatives in Ekiti are now self-reliant and supporting their families, highlighting the long-term impact of the intervention.
“We are working hard to mobilise more resources locally through Zakat and Sadaqat donations to expand our reach and deepen our impact,” he added.
In his words of admonition, the Chief Imam of Ansar-ud-Deen Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti, Alhaji Abdullahi Abdul-Mutolib, encouraged Muslims to be generous in giving, saying Zakat not only benefits the poor but also increases the wealth of the giver.
“Zakat purifies your wealth, promotes societal prosperity, and reduces poverty. We must all do our part,” he said.
Similarly, the Imam of INEC Mosque in Ekiti, Engr. Abdul-Kareem Jamiu Owonifaari explained that Zakat, 2.5 per cent of eligible income, is a fundamental pillar of Islam meant to redistribute wealth and elevate the underprivileged, calling on Muslims who may not yet qualify to pay Zakat to at least give Sadaqat voluntarily.
“Charity to your neighbours and community is a form of worship. Allah multiplies such acts manifold, adding that deviation from divine commandments often leads to societal hardship,” he said.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Mr. Bello Tijani, Mr. Isa Abdulfatahi and Ummu Latifah Zakariyah, expressed gratitude to the foundation for helping them overcome financial challenges and pledged to make judicious use of the tools and funds provided.
They also promised to pay forward by helping others once their businesses grow, in line with the values of Zakat and community support.
