…Focuses on women and business growth

 

The Muslim Zakawaat and Sodaqaat Foundation (MUZASAF) has disbursed a total of ₦45 million in Zakat proceeds for its 2026 distribution cycle, reinforcing its commitment to poverty alleviation, health, debt relief and economic empowerment across the nation.

Speaking at the official disbursement ceremony, the Director-General of MUZASAF, Engr. Mutiu Olajobi, disclosed that ₦25 million had earlier been disbursed in advance to attend to emergency cases and urgent needs that could not be delayed. The remaining balance of ₦20 million was formally presented to beneficiaries during today’s event.

The funds and relief packages distributed cover key critical areas, including business grants and trade tools, healthcare support,debt settlement, and housing rent assistance

Olajobi highlighted that over 70 percent of this year’s beneficiaries are women. Explaining the rationale behind this allocation, he noted that women often demonstrate remarkable resourcefulness in managing small capital to kick-start sustainable micro-enterprises.

Citing the initiative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who advocated for empowering women with small grants, Engr. Olajobi noted that even an amount as modest as ₦50,000 is enough for a determined woman to start a viable micro-business.

Delivering a spiritual charge to the recipients, Dr. Habeeb Dosumu reminded the audience that human beings naturally face diverse trials in their daily lives.

“Some people have brilliant business ideas but lack the financial capital to execute them, while others have capital but lack viable ideas. There are also those facing personal or marital challenges that money alone cannot resolve.”

He admonished the beneficiaries to handle their allocations with extreme care, praying that Almighty Allah puts Barakah (divine blessings) into the funds.

He sternly cautioned recipients against diverting the funds into unintended expenses or personal luxuries. For those who received trade tools and equipment, Dr. Dosumu advised them to offer prayers over their items, emphasizing that a pure intention (Niyyah) will play a crucial role in the ultimate success of their businesses.

Also addressing the gathering, the Auditor of MUZASAF, Alhaji Qasim Alade, advised beneficiaries to key into benevolent, interest-free cooperative schemes.

He explained that joining an interest-free cooperative would allow recipients to build a savings habit from their business profits while securing access to non-interest soft loans to scale their operations.

Furthermore, membership in the cooperative enables business owners to acquire additional work equipment on flexible, installment-based payment plans (“pay small-small”).

Alhaji Alade expressed optimism that through proper business discipline, today’s Zakat recipients would grow their ventures to the point of becoming Zakat payers (Muzakki) in the near future.

The impact of the disbursement was palpable among the recipients; a native of Katsina State who runs a pepper and tomato business expressed deep gratitude to Almighty Allah and the foundation.

He shared that due to soaring inflation, he had lost the financial capacity to buy goods in bulk, threatening his livelihood. He subsequently applied for a business support grant of ₦500,000.

“I learned about MUZASAF through a friend. I picked up the application form, attended the screening interview, and was approved. I never imagined I could be rescued from the overwhelming financial challenges I was facing. I pray fervently for the donors and the management of MUZASAF for giving my family a second chance.”

Olajobi concluded the event by thanking the foundation’s donors for their continuous support despite prevailing economic conditions, while urging more well-meaning Muslims to fulfill their Zakat obligations to enable the agency to reach more indigent households across Nigeria.