Ex-Kano deputy gov: Islamic principles can solve Nigeria’s challenges

Former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, has said that Islamic values of justice, equity, and inclusiveness provide a vital roadmap for addressing Nigeria’s pressing challenges of diversity, nationhood, and peaceful coexistence.

He noted that Nigeria’s struggle to live harmoniously as a plural society echoes lessons from early Islamic history.

Abubakar, who is also the Chairman of the Northwest University Governing Council of the institution, stated this while declaring the third International Islamic Conference open in Kano on Tuesday.

The conference was organised by the Department of Islamic Studies of the university, in collaboration with the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT).

He recalled how Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) organized the diverse community of Medina into a society built on fairness and mutual respect.

“Our prophet in Medina came and met a diverse society. He organized it in such a manner that everybody lived in peace, feeling well-treated and included. That is what Nigeria is looking forward to,” he said.

Prof Abubakar argued that Islam’s emphasis on justice and equity can help Nigeria overcome divisions rooted in religion and ethnicity.

According to him, the intellectual discourse generated by scholars must translate into practical solutions that strengthen unity and coexistence.

“We must see Islam in its true perspective, not the concocted perspective,” he urged, adding that broader participation would ensure that Islamic scholarship contributes directly to national healing and reform.

He expressed optimism that applying Islamic principles to governance and social relations would “deepen our collective understanding, strengthen peaceful existence, and reaffirm the role of Islamic scholarship in addressing the pressing challenges of our time.”

Head of the Department of Islamic Studies at the university, Dr. Nura Abubakar Gwadabe, explained that the conference will serve as platforms for scholars and researchers to propose practical solutions to Nigeria’s pressing challenges.

According to him, their aim is to convene experts from diverse fields to deliberate on issues such as insecurity, economic setbacks, and nationalism.

Dr. Gwadabe argued that Nigeria’s current crises, ranging from ethnic clashes to farmer-herder conflicts, stem largely from intolerance and a loss of historical values of coexistence.

“Had it been we know our history, we know ourselves, we know what the religion has planned for us, we would not have this kind of difference between ourselves,” he said, pointing to examples of peaceful coexistence in early Islamic societies.

He added that the conference seeks to remind Nigerians of Islam’s unifying principles, encouraging peaceful relations not only among Muslims but also with people of other faiths.

On her part, the Director, Bayero University Center for Gender Studies (CGS), Safiya Ahmad Nuhu, said the discussions are timely as it promoted pluralism.

“One of the key takeaways is the need to engage in Islamic scholarship in emerging issues like climate change, AI, IT and a lot of other issues in global health to formulate research and lend voices to these issues,” she added.

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