Sokoto Government Introduces Monthly Stipends For Clerics And Allocations To Mosques

The Sokoto State Government has rolled out monthly stipends for Imams, their deputies, and Mu’azzins across the state, alongside fresh financial allocations for Jumu’at Mosques.

The initiative, announced on Saturday by Governor Ahmed Aliyu at the graduation ceremony of 111 Qur’an memorisers from the Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi Foundation in Sokoto, is aimed at boosting Islamic propagation and supporting Qur’anic education among children.

According to a statement from the Director General of Media and Publicity at the Government House, Abubakar Bawa, the allowances will help clerics discharge their duties more effectively.

Governor Aliyu explained that mosque allocations will range between N300,000 and N500,000 monthly, depending on category, while stipends for clerics will ensure Islamic teachings continue to flourish in the state.

He stressed that Islamic affairs rank high on his administration’s Nine-point Smart Agenda, second only to security, and directed that land be secured for a permanent site for the school, pledging government support.

Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, commended Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi for founding the school and lauded scholars for fostering Islamic ideals and peaceful coexistence.

Former governor Aliyu Wamakko, represented by Aminu Sufi, urged parents to encourage Qur’anic memorisation, while Senator Abdulaziz Yari, represented by Lawal Liman, pledged sustained support and announced a donation of N22 million and food supplies to the school and its graduands.

Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, represented by his son Ibrahim, said expanding the foundation to other states would keep children in structured Qur’anic education and help curb street begging.

During the event, each graduand received N20,000 and clothing from the state government, as the ceremony closed with Qur’anic recitations and prize presentations.