NSCIA Appoints Five Imams for National Mosque, Including Two Igbo Muslims

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has announced the appointment of five new imams for the National Mosque in Abuja. The announcement, made on Tuesday by the council’s Secretary-General, Ishaq Oloyede, includes both resident and visiting imams from various parts of the country.

The newly appointed imams are Ilyasu Usman (visiting, Enugu State), Luqman Zakariyah (resident, Osun State), Khalid Abubakar (visiting, Plateau State), Haroun Muhammad Eze (resident, Enugu State), and Abdulkadir Salman (visiting, Kwara State). The appointments aim to strengthen the religious affairs unit of the National Mosque and enhance its role as a center for worship, training, learning, and scholarship.

Oloyede emphasized that the appointments were carefully reviewed and approved by the General Purpose Committee (GPC) of the NSCIA and subsequently endorsed by the Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC) and the National Fatwa Committee. He described the appointments as a significant milestone, particularly noting the inclusion of imams from the South-East and South-West geopolitical zones, highlighting the council’s commitment to inclusivity.

Referencing a similar development in 2017, when Professor Shehu Galadanci was appointed as the Murshid (chief imam) of the National Mosque, Oloyede reiterated the council’s promise to broaden representation among mosque leadership. The appointments fulfill this commitment, with particular emphasis on representation from the South-South and South-East regions.