AKCILS Hosts Pre-Inaugural Meeting On Islamic Education And Human Development Week

The Aminu Kano College of Islamic and Legal Studies (AKCILS) has hosted a pre-inaugural meeting of the organising committee for the forthcoming Islamic Education and Human Development Week, aimed at strengthening Islamic education, promoting human development and Islamic finance in Nigeria.

Receiving members of the committee, the Acting Provost of the College, Dr. Ali Tamasi Mu'az, who served as chief host, welcomed the delegation and expressed delight at the committee's decision to select AKCILS as host institution for the meeting.

Providing a brief historical background of the College, Dr. Tamasi described AKCILS as the first institution of its kind in Nigeria, established 50 years ago, noting that it has played a pioneering role in the development of Islamic and legal education in the country, with 19 similar institutions established subsequently.

He highlighted the College's School of Islamic and Qur'anic Studies, which houses the Departments of Qur'anic Studies and Hadith, offering diploma programmes in various fields of Islamic studies.

The Acting Provost further explained that the College attained autonomy from Kano State Polytechnic in 2002, introduced its National Certificate in Education (NCE) programme in 2012, and has successfully undergone two accreditation exercises.

He also disclosed that the College has commenced degree programmes in eight courses through its affiliation with the Federal University Dutsin-Ma, describing the development as another significant milestone in the institution's academic advancement.

Dr. Tamasi assured the committee of the College management's readiness to establish a strong partnership aimed at attracting educational interventions, grants and support from international donors and philanthropists.

He emphasised that the proposed collaboration would be mutually beneficial, stressing that its impact should extend beyond the College and the organising committee to positively affect the wider population of Kano State.

In his remarks, the Co-Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Muhammad Al-Bashir Yakasai, mni, expressed satisfaction with the warm reception accorded the delegation by the College management.

He encouraged the College to consider introducing Islamic Banking and Finance programmes at NCE and Diploma levels, observing that there is a significant opportunity for AKCILS to become a leading institution in the teaching of non-interest Islamic banking and finance in Nigeria.

Dr. Yakasai further urged the management to introduce relevant programmes in Islamic financial systems, particularly Mudarabah and Ijarah, to position the College for interventions and support from international donors and philanthropists, especially within the Islamic world.

He also assured the College of the committee's full support and partnership in facilitating access to international funding opportunities, establishing linkages with renowned universities across the world and exploring degree-affiliation arrangements in relevant Islamic courses and programmes.

The Co-Chairman stressed that such partnerships would help strengthen the academic capacity of the College, expand its programme offerings and enhance its contribution to Islamic education and human development.

In her closing remarks, the Deputy Provost (Administration), Barr. Dija Isa Hashim, commended the initiative and expressed the College management's appreciation for the project. She assured the committee of the institution's full cooperation and support towards ensuring the success of the proposed Islamic Education and Human Development Week.