Muslim professionals have been urged to take strategic and bold steps towards concretising their plans for the Ummah.The plea was made during 2023 convention of the Guild of Muslim Professionals (GMP) with the theme: ‘Building Bridges of Progress’, which also marked the group’s 10th anniversary.

Speaking at the event, the immediate past Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, enjoined Muslim professionals to show more interest in politics.As professionals, he said, they have just as much to contribute to the nation in politics as in their various professional fields.
Hassan said the situation in the southwest shows Muslims are retrogressing in the political landscape.

While noting that he doesn’t buy the notion of playing religious politics over competence, the former NAHCON boss emphasised that there are competent Muslims who need the support of the ummah and are capable of occupying and running many offices successfully.

“The kind of engagements that bring people to power or prominence is done behind the scenes. Once your strategy is before the public, you may likely not succeed. I hope that people of ideas will raise the point of how they can be our think-tank,” Alhaji Hassan said.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC), Engr. Mukhtaar Tijani described the GMP Convention as a great platform for Muslim professionals to meet, discuss and create some thoughts around varying issues of interest with a firm action plan.

Tijani who expressed appreciation to the organisers for giving him the opportunity to speak at the convention, called on Muslim professionals to be active participants in the political process, saying that they will do better for the people.The Lagos Water Corporation boss encouraged Muslims to be righteous wherever they find themselves, noting it’ll be part of them before getting leadership positions.

“Encourage people to do what is right. What religion preaches is righteousness. Do the right thing for the community and not just yourself,” he added.

The Chief Financial Officer, CFO of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Modupe AbdulKareem Kadri, famously known as MAK, charged Muslim professionals to always think differently by finding lasting solutions instead of focusing more on the mirage of problems bedeviling the country.

He said, “Opportunity happens when people take advantage of those things that we see are not working. You are not going to have a situation where everything is going to be perfect. In this uncertainty or hard times, some people are making it. Why are they making it? They think differently.

“Rather than focus on the problem, focus on how to create solutions to the problems. The economic circumstances that we face today, every other person faces it anyway.

But how come some thrive? My encouragement is for people to use the situation to think differently.”
MAK said the GMP convention has been an interesting journey from the humble beginning when it started back in time in the Badagry area of Lagos in 2013, adding that, “In the last 10 years, GMP has notable achievements to their name over these years. It’s good as long as we are making progress.”
The CFO of MTN Nigeriadescribed the theme as a call to action and the need for Muslim professionals to build on the previous themes and decide to take front seats in decision making.

“It’s about time we set things in motion. Now, this is not going to be a journey of a short number of years. It might be a medium to long term plan. But definitely, we need a strategic blueprint on how we are going to actualise and concretise the discussions we have been having over the past years,” he noted.

Chief Executive Officer of Lotus Financial Services Limited, HajiaKareematOluwatoyinKekere-ekunstressed the need for Muslims to embrace financial literacy, noting the rainy day is not a myth.
HajiaKekere-ekun in her lecture, titled; ‘Financial Literacy: Halal growth strategies for individuals and business owners’, said financial literacy is about learning new skills, noting “it’s also about being intentional about building wealth for yourself, making your money work for you and setting your financial security.”

According to her, “We have to understand the difference between saving and investment. Investing is actually making your savings work for you. You have to understand financial discipline and change of mindset. Saving is the most important thing you can do because you are saving for your future. Once you can get that, no matter how much you earn, you should have a discipline of saving. People think they earn too little to save, but the truth is that if you cannot save when you are earning small when you earn big, you won’t save because the more you earn, the more you can afford; therefore, the more you spend,” she said.

Speaking further, HajiaKekere-ekun said there are important questions that should be considered in creating wealth.

According to her, “The first one is how long can you survive if you do not earn anything. If you cannot survive for six months when you stop earning anything without changing your lifestyle, then you need to reassess your wealth creation mindset. Have you ever sought financial help from professionals? It is important so you don’t fall into bad investment choices. Your financial adviser will help you determine your financial goals.

“Are you saving for education? To buy a house or car? To travel? Whatever it is, long, medium or short-term goal. You also need to define your risk appetite. Medium, low or high risk. You should also have an investment manager managing your investment portfolios. Another question is, is your income halal? You cannot pay zakat on an income that is not halal. We should ensure that the way we earn our income is halal.

HajiaKekere-ekun commended the vision behind the GMP convention, noting that it will strengthen the bond of Muslim professionals.

“This is my first time attending. And it’s been a nice one. I wish them many years ahead,” she said.
Other personalities who spoke at the two-day convention included Executive Director of Marketing and Sales, Citiserve Ltd, Dr.JubrilSalahudeen; Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Baytuzeenah, HajiaSaidatOtitiamong others.