Muslim youths hail Oshodi MSSN at 30, seek continuous impact

Muslim youths in Oshodi, Lagos State have commended the motives behind the establishment of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Oshodi Area Council (OAC) branch, founded in 1993, which has been transforming the lives of young Muslim students in the region.

In a statement issued yesterday by the branch’s Amir (President), Okewale Yusuf, to mark the group’s 30th anniversary, explained that MSSN OAC emerged in Oshodi at a time when it was in a despicable state.

“There is always a story of cult clashes, thuggery, theft, among other social vices. During those days, many would have lost hope of any good thing emanating from Oshodi. Fortunately, a group of Muslim brothers belled the cat and resolved to make an impact in the region,” he said.

He noted that the group has traversed beyond religious reasons as its goals encapsulates promoting the academic, religious, and moral development of Muslim students in Nigeria.

Yusuf said that since its establishment, one of the most successful initiatives of the Society is the Usrah programme, which is a weekly gathering of Muslim students for religious study and spiritual upliftment.

He said: “Through this programme, students are taught the fundamentals of Islam, including Quranic recitation, Islamic jurisprudence, and the importance of good character. The programme has been transformative for many students, and a number of them have gone on to become a model in their environments and religious scholars in their respective local mosques.”

Sharing their success story since they joined the group, the students, now professionals in their respective fields, encouraged the upcoming generations to utilise the presence of the platform to become a better person in the society.

Narrating the impact of the platform on him, Senior Reservoir Engineer of Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy Production Company Limited, Temim Yusuf enthused that the society has impacted him in many more positive ways than he can state. Aside from providing a platform for him to learn Islam, he said that MSSN gave him lots of opportunities to serve the Muslim community.

Through the MSSN, Yusuf noted, he has been able to improve his administrative skills and presentation skills, among others. According to Mufutau Mojeed, an audit and assurance associate with Deloitte, the society has been a major push toward his academic excellence.

“In 2008, I remembered attending an MSS camp in JSS 3, where I was motivated and I promised myself to be serious about my goals. I then moved from 70th position to 7th in class,” he said. 10 years after, Mojeed later graduated with a First Class in mathematics from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) with a Masters in Actuarial Science.