Kolawole Oloyede, Kano

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has called on wealthy individuals in the North to use their money in promoting girl-child education so as to discourage early marriage, instead of using money to build more mosques.

The Emir’s position was supported by Governor of Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje, who said that the state had succeeded in increasing the enrolment level of girls in its schools.

Malam Sanusi who made the call on Thursday ,in a key note address at the 3rd International Conference on Islamic Banking and finance , tagged “Islamic Banking and Finance :Financial inclusion and sustainable development” organised by International Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, of the Bayero University Kano.

According to him, over 50 percent of girls between ages of 18 and 20 were given out in marriage in Northern Nigeria, stressing that what makes it more worrisome was that 75 percent of them can neither read nor write.

The Emir noted that part of the money being used to build mosques by wealthy Northerners in the society can be channeled to establishing foundations that will promote and assist the girl-child to acquire quality and qualitative education.

Sanusi also noted that the development of Islamic finance in Nigeria was not limited to the banking sector, adding that both the insurance and capital market sectors have embraced Islamic finance.

He observed that the response of regulatory institutions in the country to the introduction of Islamic finance into financial systems has been quite satisfactory.

According to him, among the significant accomplishments in the development of Islamic finance in Nigeria, was the establishment of the joint committee on alternative finance to develop a blue print for issuing sovereign, sub-sovereign and corporate Suku for infrastructure in Nigeria.

In his speech on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor, BUK, Muhammad Bello, noted that the institution established the first university based institute of Islamic banking and finance in West Africa in the year 2012.

Bello noted that the aim was to provide a formidable institute that would take the lead in manpower training and academic research in the field of Islamic banking and finance in order to fill the manpower need of the sector in West Africa.

Kano State Governor, Ganduje said several incentives had been put in place to encourage enrolment of the girl-child in schools, including payment of WAEC, NECO fees and provision of free transportation for girls in secondary schools across the state.