Prominent Nigerians, including renowned banker and philanthropist, Abdulfatai Akin Kekere-Ekun, were, at the weekend, inaugurated as members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the newly established Ansar-ud-Deen Foundation.

The colourful inauguration ceremony took place at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.

Other trustees inaugurated alongside Kekere-Ekun include Sulaimon Adedokun, Kafilat Araoye, Yusuf Ali, Dr Mosun Belo-Olusoga, Abdulfatah Bank-Anthony and Rabiu Isyaku Rabiu.

In his address, the President of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and Overseas, Mosediq Adeniji Kazeem (SAN), described the inauguration as “a historic milestone” in the over 100-year journey of the Society.

“This Foundation represents the continuation of our Society’s century-long journey of faith, knowledge and service to humanity,” Kazeem said. “It is built on the vision of our founding fathers, who believed that education, moral discipline and service to mankind are the keys to the progress of the Muslim community.”

He said that the Ansar-ud-Deen Foundation was created as a transparent and sustainable platform to support the Society’s religious, educational, welfare and developmental programmes.

According to him, the Foundation aims to build a N20 billion legacy endowment fund that will be used to rehabilitate mosques, improve Ansar-ud-Deen schools, support Summit University in Offa, and fund health, welfare and empowerment programmes across the country.

Kazeem, therefore, charged the newly inaugurated trustees to see their appointment as a sacred trust.

Also speaking, the Chief Missioner of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Abdulrahman Olanrewaju Ahmad, urged the trustees to remain faithful to Islamic principles in managing the Foundation.

He warned against raising funds through means that are not in line with Islamic teachings.

Kekere-Ekun, who is also the husband of the country’s Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, while accepting the responsibility on behalf of other members, pledged that the Foundation would operate with “absolute transparency, honesty, discipline and accountability,” and focus on supporting projects in health, education and welfare as approved by the Society.